Legal Assistance To The Elderly Inc

THE MISSION OF LEGAL ASSISTANCE TO THE ELDERLY IS TO ENSURE THAT ELDERLY AND DISABLED RESIDENTS OF SAN FRANCISCO ARE ABLE TO EXERCISE THEIR LEGAL RIGHTS AND TO HAVE FULL ACCESS TO ALL OF THE BENEFITS AND SERVICES TO WHICH THEY ARE ENTITLED.

LEGAL ASSISTANCE TO THE ELDERLY PROVIDES FREE LEGAL SERVICES TO SAN FRANCISCO SENIORS AND ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES LIVING IN SAN FRANCISCO. DURING THE 2019-20 FISCAL YEAR LEGAL ASSISTANCE TO THE ELDERLY PROVIDED LEGAL ADVICE AND/OR REPRESENTATION TO OVER 1800 CLIENTS. ABOUT 90% OF OUR CLIENTS ARE SENIORS AND 10% ARE ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES. MOST CLIENTS ARE LONG-TERM SAN FRANCISCO RESIDENTS, WHO HAVE GIVEN DECADES OF THEIR LIVES TO MAKING THE CITY THE VIBRANT AND DIVERSE PLACE THAT IT IS TODAY. OUR CLIENT BASE IS 44% WHITE, 16% AFRICAN AMERICAN/BLACK, 20% ASIAN, 5% LATINO, AND 15% MULTI-RACIAL OR OTHER. A MAJORITY OF OUR CLIENTS IDENTIFY AS WOMEN (55%) AND EIGHT PERCENT IDENTIFY AS LGBTQ. ABOUT 60% OF OUR CLIENTS ARE FRAIL OR DISABLED AND SIX PERCENT ARE HOMEBOUND OR IN A MEDICAL FACILITY. MANY CLIENTS ARE ISOLATED BY LANGUAGE, CULTURE, AND IMMIGRATION STATUS. TWENTY PERCENT OF CLIENTS ARE NON-ENGLISH SPEAKERS: PRIMARILY MONOLINGUAL CHINESE SPEAKERS AND MONOLINGUAL SPANISH SPEAKERS. TO REACH THESE VULNERABLE SENIORS WE PROVIDE MULTI-LINGUAL, MULTI-CULTURAL SERVICES AND INCORPORATE COMMUNITY OUTREACH INTO OUR PROGRAM DESIGN. OUR CLIENTS ARE ALSO OVERWHELMINGLY LOW INCOME: 56% OF OUR CLIENTS HAVE INCOMES OF LESS THAN $1300 PER MONTH (OR 125% OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL). USING HUDS INCOME LEVELS FOR SAN FRANCISCO, 96% OF OUR CLIENTS ARE CONSIDERED VERY LOW OR EXTREMELY LOW-INCOME. THIS FINANCIAL VULNERABILITY MEANS THAT OUR CLIENTS ARE OFTEN SEPARATED FROM HOMELESSNESS OR INSTITUTIONALIZATION ONLY BY THE LOSS OF ONE PAYCHECK OR BENEFIT CHECK, OR BY A WORSENING HEALTH CONDITION. DURING THIS FISCAL YEAR WE HAVE ASSISTED CLIENTS IN THE FOLLOWING LEGAL AREAS: HOUSING/EVICTION DEFENSE (56%); END OF LIFE PLANNING (5%); CONSUMER DEBT DEFENSE (7%); HEALTHCARE ADVOCACY (9%); INCOME MAINTENANCE/ PUBLIC BENEFITS (SOCIAL SECURITY, SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME, PENSIONS, ETC.) (9%); PHYSICAL & FINANCIAL ABUSE PROTECTION (10%); INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS/ CONSERVATORSHIPS/ MISCELLANEOUS LEGAL ISSUES (4%). WE ALSO WERE FUNDED AS THE LEAD AGENCY FOR THE EXCELSIOR LEGAL COLLABORATIVE (ELC), WHICH IS PROVIDING LEGAL SERVICES TO SAN FRANCISCO'S SUPERVISORIAL DISTRICT 11 AND FOCUSES ITS WORK ON HOUSING/EVICTION DEFENSE, WORKERS' RIGHTS, AND IMMIGRATION.

LEGAL ASSISTANCE TO THE ELDERLY PROVIDES FREE LEGAL SERVICES TO SAN FRANCISCO SENIORS AND ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES LIVING IN SAN FRANCISCO. DURING THE 2019-20 FISCAL YEAR LEGAL ASSISTANCE TO THE ELDERLY PROVIDED LEGAL ADVICE AND/OR REPRESENTATION TO OVER 1800 CLIENTS. ABOUT 90% OF OUR CLIENTS ARE SENIORS AND 10% ARE ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES. MOST CLIENTS ARE LONG-TERM SAN FRANCISCO RESIDENTS, WHO HAVE GIVEN DECADES OF THEIR LIVES TO MAKING THE CITY THE VIBRANT AND DIVERSE PLACE THAT IT IS TODAY. OUR CLIENT BASE IS 44% WHITE, 16% AFRICAN AMERICAN/BLACK, 20% ASIAN, 5% LATINO, AND 15% MULTI-RACIAL OR OTHER. A MAJORITY OF OUR CLIENTS IDENTIFY AS WOMEN (55%) AND EIGHT PERCENT IDENTIFY AS LGBTQ. ABOUT 60% OF OUR CLIENTS ARE FRAIL OR DISABLED AND SIX PERCENT ARE HOMEBOUND OR IN A MEDICAL FACILITY. MANY CLIENTS ARE ISOLATED BY LANGUAGE, CULTURE, AND IMMIGRATION STATUS. TWENTY PERCENT OF CLIENTS ARE NON-ENGLISH SPEAKERS: PRIMARILY MONOLINGUAL CHINESE SPEAKERS AND MONOLINGUAL SPANISH SPEAKERS. TO REACH THESE VULNERABLE SENIORS WE PROVIDE MULTI-LINGUAL, MULTI-CULTURAL SERVICES AND INCORPORATE COMMUNITY OUTREACH INTO OUR PROGRAM DESIGN. OUR CLIENTS ARE ALSO OVERWHELMINGLY LOW INCOME: 56% OF OUR CLIENTS HAVE INCOMES OF LESS THAN $1300 PER MONTH (OR 125% OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL). USING HUDS INCOME LEVELS FOR SAN FRANCISCO, 96% OF OUR CLIENTS ARE CONSIDERED VERY LOW OR EXTREMELY LOW-INCOME. THIS FINANCIAL VULNERABILITY MEANS THAT OUR CLIENTS ARE OFTEN SEPARATED FROM HOMELESSNESS OR INSTITUTIONALIZATION ONLY BY THE LOSS OF ONE PAYCHECK OR BENEFIT CHECK, OR BY A WORSENING HEALTH CONDITION. DURING THIS FISCAL YEAR WE HAVE ASSISTED CLIENTS IN THE FOLLOWING LEGAL AREAS: HOUSING/EVICTION DEFENSE (56%); END OF LIFE PLANNING (5%); CONSUMER DEBT DEFENSE (7%); HEALTHCARE ADVOCACY (9%); INCOME MAINTENANCE/ PUBLIC BENEFITS (SOCIAL SECURITY, SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME, PENSIONS, ETC.) (9%); PHYSICAL & FINANCIAL ABUSE PROTECTION (10%); INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS/ CONSERVATORSHIPS/ MISCELLANEOUS LEGAL ISSUES (4%). WE ALSO WERE FUNDED AS THE LEAD AGENCY FOR THE EXCELSIOR LEGAL COLLABORATIVE (ELC), WHICH IS PROVIDING LEGAL SERVICES TO SAN FRANCISCO'S SUPERVISORIAL DISTRICT 11 AND FOCUSES ITS WORK ON HOUSING/EVICTION DEFENSE, WORKERS' RIGHTS, AND IMMIGRATION.