To learn more about LASP's Pro Bono Program, please visit lasp.org/pro-bono!

Bristol Managing Attorney Joshua Goldblum estimates that LASP has represented more than 100 Bucks County renters at eviction hearings since Gov. Wolf's moratorium ended Aug. 31. LASP's entire Bristol office, together with LASP CARES Attorney Fellows, LASP interns and community volunteers from Lower Bucks for Change have been engaged in the effort since landlord-tenant hearings resumed in September.

In addition to providing free legal representation at hearings, LASP's effort also includes making sure that clients know about rental assistance funding available in Bucks County. The goal is to keep clients in their apartments once the Centers for Disease Control moratorium ends Dec. 31. Bucks County Housing Link (800-810-4434) is the main contact for Bucks County residents who need rental assistance.

(Note: The effort is separate from the pro bono initiative in the Morrisville magisterial district court.)

From the Helpline and LASP attorneys: Housing issues dominate in Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties.

Pennsylvania's 2-1-1 call system also reports a significant increase in housing needs throughout the state. New research, published Sept. 18 by the Health Communication Research Laboratory at Washington University in St. Louis, shows that PA's housing needs have surged, including requests for help with rent assistance, shelters, low-cost housing and help dealing with landlord-tenant issues. To read the report, please visit: https://bit.ly/302UnXC or click graph.

CARES assistance programs for PA renters and homeowners are restarted; Deadline extended to Nov. 4 to submit applications

On Oct. 5, Gov. Tom Wolf issued an order reinstating the CARES rent and mortgage relief program. Applications will now be accepted until Nov. 4, 2020. The program had expired on Sept. 30.

The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) administers the programs. All eligibility requirements remain the same as they were when the programs ended on Sept. 30. Applications submitted prior to Oct. 1 will continue to be processed, and new applications will be added to the pool of submissions undergoing review.

Renters and homeowners who were financially impacted by the COVID-19 economic slowdown can access applications for rent and mortgage relief and other information at the PHFA website at:

The Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA) launched a statewide public information campaign titled, “Pandemic preparedness: When your home is at risk.” Free fact sheets, informational brochures, and video presentations are provided to help Pennsylvanians understand their legal rights when renting or owning a home and what legal help is available if their home is in jeopardy.

The project is a collaboration between PBA and 26 local bar associations, including the Bucks County Bar Association, Chester County Bar Association, Delaware County Bar Association, and Montgomery Bar Association.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) eviction moratorium took effect Sept. 4, 2020. It declares a national moratorium on residential evictions, through Dec. 31, 2020, for nonpayment (of rent, as well as other fees or charges) under the authority of 42 C.F.R. § 70.2. The moratorium applies only to tenants who present a signed form declaration, to their landlord.

Christina Drzal, LASP Regional Housing Supervising Attorney, shared a fact sheet about the CDC order, officially titled, "Temporary Halt in Residential Evictions To Prevent the Further Spread of COVID-19." For a two-page PDF, click here or on the image at right.

The Pennsylvania Courts' version of the CDC declaration is available in PDF at: https://bit.ly/30m6WgX. It includes instructions on page 3.

Rental assistance is available in Bucks County through the Bucks County Housing Link at 800-810-4434 or fax 267-339-6110. Call now to apply for the money to help with the rent that may prevent eviction.

LASP is helping renters in landlord-tenant disputes. Bucks County residents can call LASP's Bristol office at 215-781-1111 x210 immediately to see if you qualify. Renters in Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties can contact the LASP Helpline at 877-429-5994 Monday-Friday, from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1-4 p.m.

The sooner you contact LASP, the more prepared your case will be for the hearing date.

Click here for one-page PDF (or image at right).

Your first direct step to receive rental assistance in Chester County is to call the 211 system. When the 211 system answers, press 2 on your telephone to indicate you are calling: "because you are homeless or experiencing a housing crisis." You will be connected to a staff member who will determine your basic eligibility and provide your contact information to the Housing Authority of Chester County (HACC). Within three days, a HACC representative will contact you and begin the process necessary to provide you with the needed assistance. HACC can only process referrals from the 211 system.

Delaware County Office of Housing and Community Development (OHCD)

For mortgage and utility assistance, please call Chester Community Improvement Project at 610-876-8663 or Media Fellowship House at 610-565-0434. Click here for three-page PDF or visit: https://www.cciphousing.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/CARES-Program-Guide.pdf. Delco CARES provides temporary relief to homeowners in response to COVID-19 pandemic-related economic hardship. Using CDBG-CV funds from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Delco CARES provides eligible Delaware County homeowners with up to three months of mortgage and/or utility payment assistance.

For rental payment assistance, please call Community Action Agency of Delaware County (CAADC) at 610-874-8451. You can learn eligibility requirements or schedule an appointment (required due to pandemic restrictions).

NORRISTOWN - Montgomery County's new Emergency Rent and Utility Coalition (ERUC) provides financial assistance for rent and utilities. Your Way Home of Montgomery County coordinates the program. Please see the YWH flyer below. To apply, contact one of the partner agencies via links below:

NORRISTOWN - The Montgomery County Protonotary's Office has shared information on how to appeal an eviction in Montgomery County. For the two-page PDF flyer, click here (or image below right).

Montgomery County's Eviction Prevention and Intervention Coalition (EPIC) recently expanded from two courtrooms in Norristown to a total of seven across the county, including two in Pottstown, one in East Norriton, and one in Lansdale. Hon. Margaret Hunsicker piloted the program in her courtroom starting in 2018, and Hon. Gregory Scott's was the second courtroom to participate in EPIC, beginning in 2019.

Coordinated by Your Way Home of Montgomery County, EPIC seeks to stabilize vulnerable families and individuals in Montgomery County who are facing eviction by providing them with free legal and social services support on the day of their eviction hearing. Initial partners were LASP, Montgomery Bar Association, Montgomery County Courts, Pottstown Cluster of Religious Communities, the Montgomery County Foundation, and the Montgomery County Office of Housing and Community Development.

The seven courtrooms now participating in EPIC include:

Kayleigh M. Silver, MSS, Senior Manager of Your Way Home Montgomery County, noted that much of the planning for the expansion to an additional five courtrooms took place in August, to prepare for the Aug. 31 expiration of Gov. Wolf's eviction moratorium. "Setting this process up with all seven judges helped us get a new intake process solidified before the courts opened back up,"

Separately, Your Way Home applied to the county commissioners to launch an Emergency Rent & Utility Coalition (ERUC) to address the rent arrears that stacked up during the eviction moratorium. The application was approved. "This will hopefully ease some of the burden on EPIC after the moratorium," Silver said. "This is a separate, but partnering, initiative." (To learn more about ERUC, see article below.)

Staff Attorney Michelle Dempsky is LASP's lead attorney with the EPIC program. CARES Attorney Fellows Anthony Richardson and Caitlin Rudin also are working on EPIC. Dempsky noted that pro bono attorneys are needed to represent renters at eviction hearings. To learn more about volunteering for the EPIC program, please contact Michael E. Kelley, LASP Norristown Managing Attorney, at 610-275-5400 x125, or mekelley@lasp.org.

COVID-19 was a major obstacle to expanding the reach of the project this year. In March, the pandemic forced LASP to cancel all in-person workshops. Our team responded by developing and staffing online workshops to continue the project safely. Thanks to the work of our team, we still nearly doubled the number of homeowners we helped from last year.

Note: Brian is pictured during his Sept. 14 presentation, "Mobile Home Ownership Issues," with Dan Vitek, Staff Attorney, Community Justice Project. The 2020 PA Legal Aid Network (PLAN) conference continues virtually through October.

In the news: 'Elderly and Homeless: America's Next Housing Crisis'

A LASP attorney said, "This one struck a chord with me. These are our clients. I think seniors make up half of all my foreclosure/tax sale cases." The article, "Elderly and Homeless: America’s Next Housing Crisis" by Fernanda Santos, is in Sunday, Oct. 4 New York Times Magazine. https://nyti.ms/3n5hBX0

Daniel Cortes, Community Engagement Staff Attorney, announced as part of Hispanic Heritage Month in September that LASP advocates can help with citizenship applications for residents of Norristown or Pottstown. To be eligible, an individual's immigration status must fall within guidelines set by Legal Services Corp. (LSC), LASP's major federal funder. The individual also must meet LASP financial eligibility criteria.

"LASP will start accepting very specific immigration cases in the Norristown and Pottstown communities," Cortes said. "This means that if someone in these two areas has an approved Legal Services Corp. (LSC) immigration status and needs some immigration legal advice, we will now take these cases in-house within the Community Engagement Unit."

Eligibility requirements for U.S. citizenship are outlined in the clickable flyer at right. For a one-page PDF, click here.

Five Delaware County magisterial district courts reopened Sept. 28 for CIVIL HEARINGS and LANDLORD-TENANT HEARINGS. LASP intern Matt Marchini, working with Christina Drzal, Supervising Attorney for LASP's Regional Housing Unit, condensed Delaware County's 45-page Sept. 11, 2020 court order into two pages. The full 45-page court order with amendments is at: https://bit.ly/2HyMoLF. For the two-page PDF flyer, click here or on the image at right.

October: Domestic Violence Awareness Month

In recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Staff Attorney Kimberly Hollenback shared information about LASP's services for victims of domestic violence in Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties.

Click here (or image at left) for one-page PDF.

Did you know?

LASP has a website page dedicated to domestic violence resources. Visit lasp.org/domestic-violence.

Christina Drzal, LASP Regional Housing Supervising Attorney, will discuss LANDLORD-TENANT LAW DURING COVID-19. As part of this free virtual information session, she will explain requirements in the new Centers for Disease Control (CDC) moratorium on evictions, which is in effect from Sept. 4-Dec. 31, 2020. Renters also will be able to ask questions about landlord-tenant law and the CDC order.

This event is presented through a partnership between Legal Aid of Southeastern PA, United Way of Chester County and PA CareerLink of Chester County.

Wanted: volunteers for PFA court on any Wednesday in October

DOYLESTOWN - LASP's Bucks County Division needs pro bono attorneys to help with Protection from Abuse court days on Wednesdays in October. PFA hearings take place at the Bucks County Justice Center at 100 N. Main St., Doylestown, PA 18901. If you can volunteer on Oct. 7, 14, 21 and/or 28, please contact Randi Riefner, Paralegal and Bucks County Assistant Pro Bono Coordinator, at rriefner@lasp.org or or 215-781-1111 x203.

'One family's crisis with eviction bans: State's ended, CDC's began, but during brief gap, action had commenced'

Spotlight PA story by Charlotte Keith

Philadelphia Inquirer, Page 1 | Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020

'As Eviction Moratorium Ends, ‘Tsunami’ Of Cases Expected In Area'

LevittownNow.com story by Tom Sofield

(Note: The Bucks County Housing Link (800-810-4434) is the centralized point of information, assessment, and referral services for all Bucks County residents experiencing a housing-related crisis.

(Oct. 6, 2020) According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and the Campaign for Working Families, an estimated 350,000-450,000 Pennsylvanians may have missed their Economic Impact Payment (EIP), also known as the $1,200 stimulus payment. Those who did not file taxes can still receive the payment as a non-filer. The IRS announced that the application deadline (previously Oct. 15) has been extended to Nov. 21, 2020.

Background: As part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economy Security (CARES) Act of 2020, in April 2020 the U.S. Dept. of Treasury began issuing funds known as Recovery Rebates or Economic Impact Payments (EIPs) to most Americans. If people did not file taxes, they can still complete the non-filer form for the EIP until Nov. 21, 2020. In addition, Campaign for Working Families is able to assist people with completing the non-filer form if needed (see below).

For more information:

WEST CHESTER - Congratulations to Leo Vasmanis on your retirement, after 38 years of service as a legal aid attorney!

Leo started his career in public interest law in 1982 as an attorney for Keystone (which later became part of MidPenn Legal Services). He also worked as an attorney for Bucks County Legal Aid Society. After LASP formed in 2001 when Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery county legal aid programs joined forces, Leo has been based in LASP's Chester County office in West Chester.

Current staff and LASP alumni gathered for a "Virtual Cake Break" Sept. 25, to wish Leo well on his retirement projects!

In reflecting on his career, Leo recalled starting out in Central Pennsylvania with Keystone Legal Aid as a Reginald Heber Smith Fellow. "It was when the PFA (Protection from Abuse) law was new, and the bankruptcy law changed. Things were developing in legal services." Cases were selected at the end of the week. "One week we had four or five horse cases and were wondering, is there a trend in equine cases? People were getting thrown off horses, or horses were dying from being hit by a car."

Attorneys "rode the circuit," driving from county to county and seeing clients at offices in each courthouse, where there would be one judge.

But his first role was as mediator in housing court, through Temple Law School. "The more things change, the more they stay the same," he observed, noting that mediation has circled back into popularity again. "Nothing is new under the sun, just issues coming at you in a different way," referring to the rising awareness of collateral consequences of contact with the criminal justice system, and LASP's innovative approaches to helping clients with the expungement process.

At Bucks County Legal Aid Society, attorneys asked, "How can we get people more involved in the legal process?" One result: divorce clinics developed in Bucks County. When LASP formed in 2001, Leo transferred to the Chester County office to facilitate his daughter's transportation to school. Between his and others' moves, including Managing Attorney Rachel Houseman and Staff Attorney Deborah Steeves, many ideas migrated from Bucks County to the Chester County Office. The divorce clinics were and remain based on the premise, "It’s good to get divorces for people who need PFAs or are in bad situations." They originated, Leo said, by asking, "''What can we do to help, where people can get involved to use the judicial system?' Now we’re kind of going in that direction again with expungements. We recognize a need. We used to do a lot of driver license suspensions because people couldn’t get to work. With the pandemic, it’s landlord-tenant."

As for retirement plans, he will be working on projects at his family's cabin in the Poconos, and according to his family, he's going to start cooking. "They don't know what they're in for," he said.

Additional events: lasp.org/events

This listing is updated frequently, so please check back for new offerings.

CHESTER City - Devyne Byrd is based in the Chester City Office with the Regional Housing Unit. Devyne is originally from Texas and is a recent graduate of the University of Virginia Law School, where she participated in the Employment Law Clinic and other public interest organizations. She holds a B.A. in history from Houston Baptist University. During law school, Devyne also volunteered with the Women’s Legal Aid Clinic in Tanzania and the Legal Aid Justice Center in Charlottesville, Virginia. At the Rutherford Institute in Charlottesville in 2017, she researched and wrote memoranda on constitutional rights concerning the Fourth Amendment and excessive police force on unarmed and fleeing suspects. Devyne can be reached at dbyrd@lasp.org.

BRISTOL - Michael Chiacchio is based in the Bristol Office, helping primarily with the landlord-tenant project aimed at preventing evictions. He is also assisting with Protection from Abuse (PFA) cases and other cases as needed. Michael is an experienced family law attorney and has also done child welfare and employment benefits work, mostly in New Jersey but also in Portland, Oregon. He holds a J.D. from Rutgers University School of Law - Camden; a B.A. in organizational management from Eastern University, graduating with distinction; and an Associate's degree, magna cum laude, in Paralegal Studies in (ABA), Peirce College. Michael can be reached at mchiacchio@lasp.org. 

CHESTER City - Maddie McCleary joined LASP as a CARES Attorney Fellow in the Chester City Office, Delaware County. She is working closely with the Regional Housing Unit. Since graduating from Villanova Law School in 2019, Maddie has been a law clerk for Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas Judge Jeffrey Saltz. She is licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. As a law student, she interned with the Villanova Clinic for Law and Entrepreneurship and Volunteer Lawyers for Justice in Newark. She holds a B.A. from Purdue University. Maddie can be reached at mmccleary@lasp.org.

CHESTER City - Mark O’Halloran joined LASP as a CARES Attorney Fellow in the Chester City Office. Mark is a recent graduate of the University of Maryland School of Law, where he worked in the Appellate Advocacy and Law Reform Clinic and with the Just Advice Project, representing individuals at bail review hearings, interviewing clients, conducting legal research, and providing brief legal advice on a range of civil matters. Mark also interned with the Public Justice Center advocating for tenants in disputes with their landlords. More recently, Mark worked as a fiscal policy analyst with the Massachusetts Senate Ways and Means Committee, evaluating spending proposals and working on budgets for the judiciary, including state funding for civil legal assistance. He also holds a Master of Public Policy from the University of Maryland School of Public Policy and a B.A. in political science from Villanova University. Mark can be reached at mohalloran@lasp.org.

NORRISTOWN - Anthony Richardson joined LASP as a CARES Attorney Fellow in the Norristown Office. Anthony is a seasoned civil litigation attorney with extensive courtroom experience. As a private practitioner at a firm in Philadelphia, Anthony gained experience in contracts, tax, real estate, personal injury and wills and estate law. Anthony has also been a volunteer with the Philadelphia Residential Mortgage Foreclosure Diversion Program since its inception in 2008, defending homeowners in foreclosure. He holds a J.D. From Widener University School of Law, Master's in math education from Lincoln University, and a B.S. in math education from Temple University. Anthony can be reached at arichardson@lasp.org.

BRISTOL - Kate Roth joined LASP as a CARES Attorney Fellow in the Bristol Office. As a pro bono attorney, she worked closely with the Bristol Office for several months on eviction cases. She coordinated intake for more than 70 LASP clients as a volunteer with the Bucks Eviction Stability for Tenants (BEST) pilot program. She served many years as International Project Manager, Clinical Project Manager and Medical Writer at Pfizer (formerly Wyeth). She holds a J.D. from Delaware Law School (formerly Widener University School of Law), an M.S. in biology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a B.S. in biology from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. Kate can be reached at kroth@lasp.org.

NORRISTOWN - LASP CARES Attorney Fellow Caitlin Rudin is based in the Norristown Office. Caitlin is a recent graduate of the University at Buffalo, State University of New York, where she received both a law degree and a Master's of Social Work. She also holds a B.A. from Eastern University, in Theology and Biblical Studies. During law school, Caitlin interned at Philadelphia Legal Assistance and Neighborhood Legal Services in Buffalo, where she gained experience in public benefit denials and terminations, Social Security matters and other poverty law-related areas. Caitlin can be reached at crudin@lasp.org. 

WEST CHESTER - Brian Scott joined LASP as a CARES Attorney Fellow in the West Chester Office. Brian holds a J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and a B.A. in economics from Villanova University. During law school, he was a licensed intern with Neighborhood Legal Services. Since graduation, he has volunteered with the Montgomery Child Advocacy Project and Philadelphia VIP, where he handled evictions, powers of attorney and estate issues. Brian can be reach at bscott@lasp.org. 

LASP Staff Attorney - Veterans Advocacy Project

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