About MLAC
The Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation (MLAC) was established by the Commonwealth in 1983 to ensure that low-income people with critical non-criminal legal problems would have access to legal information, advice and representation.
MLAC is the largest funding source for civil legal aid programs in Massachusetts.
End of eviction moratorium brings worry
/in Blog, News Coverage - Archives, News Coverage - Current /by mlacAnxiety is high among tenants, landlords, and housing advocates as the midnight Saturday expiration date for the federal eviction moratorium looms, but what the end of the tenant protection will actually mean is uncertain…Andrea Park, a housing attorney for the Mass Law Reform Institute, said the federal moratorium was not a blanket ban on evictions, […]
Massachusetts Housing Advocates Fear Wave Of Evictions As Moratorium Times Out
/in Blog, Program News - Archives, Program News - Current /by mlacThe federal government’s eviction moratorium expires this weekend, removing the last remaining protection for tenants who’ve fallen behind on rent during the pandemic…Andrea Park, a housing attorney at the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, said the Biden administration is encouraging quick distribution of federal aid…Gary Klein, who leads the COVID Eviction Legal Help Project at Greater […]
MLAC applauds $35M for civil legal aid in FY22 Budget
/in Blog, News Coverage - Archives, News Coverage - Current, Press Release - Current /by mlacPraises Gov. Baker’s support of $6M increase to aid pandemic recovery BOSTON, July 16, 2021 – Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker signed into law the FY22 budget, including $35 million to fund civil legal aid through the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation, line item 0321-1600. That is a $6 million increase over FY21. MLAC expresses its deep […]
Involuntary treatment for mental illness back before committee
/in Blog, Program News - Archives, Program News - Current /by mlacAdvocates for people with mental illness and those with disabilities lined up Monday afternoon to urge a legislative committee to once again reject legislation that would authorize court-ordered outpatient treatment programs for people with severe mental illness…“Involuntary outpatient commitment, as also referred to earlier as assisted outpatient commitment, undermines the values of personal autonomy, liberty, […]
Tenants Urge State Intervention As Evictions Ban Expires
/in Blog, Program News - Archives, Program News - Current /by mlac… The state legislature voted Tuesday to extend and reinstate provisions requiring landlords to give tenants a notice to quit for nonpayment of rent and protecting renters from eviction while their rental relief applications are being processed. These protections don’t address verbal eviction warnings or help tenants who might never make it to housing court, according to […]
Racial Equity Panel Uses First Hearing to Build To-Do List
/in Blog, Program News - Archives, Program News - Current /by mlacA diverse stream of lawmakers, activists and community leaders produced a lengthy list of racial equity proposals on Monday, kicking off one of the Legislature’s most daunting undertakings to date: confronting centuries of structural racism ingrained in nearly every facet of public life…Warning that “mass incarceration is perhaps the most pointed example of structural racism […]
DLC Finds Abuse & Neglect in Death of Woman Discharged from Middleborough Hospital and Left on Boston Streets
/in Blog, Program News - Archives, Program News - Current /by mlacWatchdog group cites failure of the DMH to order adequate corrective action The Disability Law Center (DLC) issues a major Death Investigation Report today (June 8) announcing the results of its investigation into the tragic death of CaSonya King, a Northbridge area woman and former information and data professional. CaSonya King died at the age […]
Seventy years of fighting for justice in Western Massachusetts
/in Blog, Program News - Archives, Program News - Current /by mlacAn op-ed by Jonathan Mannina, Executive Director of Community Legal Aid. …As Community Legal Aid celebrates its 70th anniversary, I am deeply grateful to the individuals who so many years ago had the foresight to take action to help us live up to the American ideal of justice for all. Their actions helped hundreds of […]