Indiana Legal Services (ILS) launched the Rural Subsidized Housing Initiative (RSHI) project to deliver legal services to low-income tenants in rural areas of south central Indiana. This project is operated out of ILS' Bloomington office and is staffed by an Equal Justice Works fellow who provides assistance to public housing residents as well as tenants with Section 8 vouchers. Recognizing that low-income people in rural areas often face unique challenges in accessing services, ILS created this project in order to build a more prominent presence in rural areas and to provide assistance to low-income clients with housing needs. In developing this project, ILS identified a number of critical housing needs which included preventing the termination of subsidized housing benefits, improving the quality and habitability of housing, and providing opportunities for home ownership for ILS' low-income clients. To address these critical housing needs, the RHSI project offers legal education classes to the public both in Bloomington and in the rural areas served by ILS. RHSI also works directly with public housing authorities in drafting policy as well as working with housing councils as they seek to attain tax exempt status. RHSI also provides direct representation on behalf of tenants to address specific legal problems such as an eviction or termination of benefits.
Since the launch of this project, the RHSI attorney has built partnerships with a wide range of organizations including social services agencies as well as organizations that do not provide housing assistance but serve as a source for referrals to RHSI. In the next phase of this project, ILS will recruit pro bono attorneys located both in Bloomington and in rural areas outside Bloomington to provide housing assistance through this project.
Contact Information:
Jamie Andree Indiana Legal Services Curry Building, Second Floor 242 West Seventh Street Bloomington, IN 47404 Phone: (812) 339-7668 Fax: (812) 339-2081 Email
Jeff Gold Indiana Legal Services Curry Building, Second Floor 242 West Seventh Street Bloomington, IN 47404 Phone: (812) 339-7668 Fax: (812) 339-2081 Email
LSC:
America's Partner for Equal Justice 