  |   ImmigrationThe CLSEPA Immigration Program provides legal assistance to immigrants in and around East Palo Alto, where two-thirds of the population is Latino or Pacific Islander. Our three full-time immigration attorneys help local residents navigate the federal government's complicated immigration processes. In an effort to teach local immigrants their rights and responsibilities, we give presentations at a number of venues in the area, including community health and social service agencies, immigrants' rights groups, churches, schools, women's shelters, and community events. For individual clients, we specialize in the following immigration issues:
Our immigration team also provides life-changing assistance to survivors of domestic violence and victims of other crimes who are without immigration papers, helping clients apply for and obtain relief under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and through U Visa relief. These programs help our clients secure a change in immigration status, enabling them to take important steps toward eliminating violence and fear for their lives and the lives of their children. Handouts in Spanish are available on a variety of topics. Most of our full-time staff members speak Spanish. To schedule an appointment, please call our office at 650-326-6440, or for more information, email us at info@clsepa.org. HousingThe CLSEPA Housing Program strives to safeguard decent and affordable housing by working with individual clients and their families to resolve specific housing problems. Our Housing Program also advocates with local and state agencies to protect homeowners both locally and state-wide. Our staff counsels and represents tenants in order to:
Education and empowerment are key elements of our housing project. We work with the local community to increase the capacity of individuals and groups to advocate on their own behalf. In those cases where a client lacks the capacity to represent him/herself, we attempt to secure outside counsel to represent the client on a pro bono basis. When there is no clear legal solution to a problem, we will explore with the client alternatives to legal action, such as direct negotiation with the client's landlord or referral to mediation and/or social service agencies. Low Income Housing Options Housing Investment Project (HIP) Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California Financial Resources Redwood City Fair Oaks Community Center To schedule an appointment, please call our office at 650-326-6440, or for more information, email us at info@clsepa.org. Anti-Predatory Lending and Home Mortgage Foreclosure Program"U-PAY-US: The Payday Lending Show" Thank you to everyone who joined us for the premiere! You can watch the video below or on our facebook page here: Bank on East Palo Alto You can find more information about local resources in the pamphlets here: English Español Home Mortgage Foreclosure Guide Available Deceptive and illegal loans threaten the well being of low-income and minority families, elders and communities. Millions of people are in foreclosure and many more are threatened with losing their homes. If you are at risk of foreclosure or already in foreclosure, we can help. CLSEPA staff, pro bono attorneys, and volunteer law students are prepared to assist homeowners and renters in circumstances where they are threatened by foreclosure and/or eviction. We serve people throughout the Bay Area who are in need of legal help related to predatory lending, loan modification scams, and unlawful detainers and other post-foreclosure issues. Free assistance is available. DONT WAIT - GET HELP NOW. CLSEPA, in conjunction with the University of San Francisco, School of Law, created a California Homeowner's Guide to Mortgage Foreclosure. To view it electronically in English, click here or "right-click" and choose Download Linked File to save it. Para Espanol, haga clic aqui. For Tagalog, click here. For Chinese, click here. For Korean, click here. Resources for Tenants and Homeowners Facing Foreclosure Consumer Credit Counseling Service of San Francisco California Reinvestment Coalition Center for Responsible Lending (ACCE) Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment HUD Certified Counselors You can just do a search for a local city or browse all locations. To schedule an appointment, please call our office at 650-326-6440, or for more information, email us at info@clsepa.org. Volunteer Attorney ProgramThrough our Volunteer Attorney Program, CLSEPA helps people with a wide range of legal problems, including consumer fraud, insurance, bankruptcy, car financing, contracts, and real estate issues. Under the direction of supervising attorney Julie Hansen Quinlan and other volunteer supervising attorneys, trained law school students, summer associates from local firms, and law firm associates assist our clients with a variety of legal issues. They conduct interviews, write legal memoranda, provide advice, and advocate as appropriate in each case. Clients with more intractable legal problems are referred to attorneys from local firms who provide their services free of charge. In addition, CLSEPA offers free bankruptcy and debtor's rights advice clinics on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Attendees learn about about filing for bankruptcy, dischargeable debt, non-dischargeable debt, exemptions, secured creditors, and debtor's rights. Space is limited; interested attendees should call CLSEPA's main office to reserve a space. To schedule an appointment, please call our office at 650-326-6440, or for more information, email us at info@clsepa.org. | |
