Mission in Action: Michelle

“Legal Aid gave me the tools and confidence to stand up for my family’s health and safety. They helped me respond to unhealthy living conditions, preserve critical evidence, and navigate complex housing laws. Their support gave me strength during a time when I felt broken and voiceless. Knowing someone believed in me—and in my children’s right to live safely—was life changing.”

– Michelle, Housing Client

Michelle is a single mother of 3 minor children, all with disabilities, who was living in a unit with dangerously uninhabitable conditions—severe mold, electrical hazards, structural damage, and a full termite infestation.

She called Legal Aid on a Friday, panicked. There was a default judgment against her, and the sheriffs were coming the next Wednesday to remove her and her kids from their home. If she was locked out, she would not only lose her home, but also her Section 8 voucher, and would likely be another 17 years before she could get another one.

By the following Tuesday, LASSD had accepted Michelle’s case and provided her with an eviction defense lawyer who scheduled an emergency hearing to stop the lockout. The attorney then negotiated a settlement agreement with her landlord, avoiding an eviction on Michelle’s record, greatly reducing the amount of money owed based on the poor condition of the unit, and securing her more time to move.

In the interim, we also provided her with a case manager who helped her search for a new unit. Lastly, with the help of LASSD’s Emergency Flex Funds Program - which is currently paused due to lack of funding – we helped Michelle secure her new rental unit and move her family to a safe and healthy new home.