Tag Archive for: Massachusetts Law Reform Institute

For many renters, apartment application fees add up. Some are illegal (WBUR)

Below is an excerpt from an article published by WBUR on November 27, highlighting the rise of exploitative application fees for apartment hunters. Massachusetts Law Reform Insitute’s Andrea Park is quoted. 

Sheila Sanchez Ortiz moved from Puerto Rico to New Bedford last year to start a new life with her two kids. On a limited income in a new city, she knew finding an affordable apartment would be a challenge. But she wasn’t expecting to have to pay hundreds of dollars in fees — just to see the apartments.

“You want to see a place, first you have to pay,” she said in Spanish. “I’d fill out an application, and nobody would even call me back.”

Amid a region-wide housing shortage, advocates say application fees are on the rise, even when they’re not allowed. Massachusetts is one of the only states where it’s illegal for landlords to charge application fees. But with little enforcement of the law, advocates say these charges are becoming an entry fee to finding an apartment.

Ortiz spent almost a year apartment hunting, she said, and paid application fees four times for places that did not work out. Interviews with multiple New Bedford-area renters suggest her experience is common — and some are paying these fees upwards of a dozen times.

Housing activist and real estate agent Carlos Betancourt spends much of his time helping low-income renters find apartments. He said the majority of places he sees charge application fees.

Betancourt explained how it often works: A listed apartment will come with an application fee of $25 to $70 — per adult. And, he said, that’s frequently just to view the place. He remembers attending an open house where everybody interested in the apartment had to pay. The open house lasted three days.

Read more at WBUR.

Massachusetts’ shelter system is reaching capacity, threatening the state’s ability to fulfil its ‘right-to-shelter’ law, says Gov. Maura Healey (The Berkshire Eagle)

Below is an excerpt from an article The Berkshire Eagle published on October 17, drawing attention to the consequences of Massachusetts’ overfilling state shelter system. Massachusetts Law Reform Institutes’ Andrea Park is quoted. 

While its right-to-shelter law will remain in place, Massachusetts may not be able to guarantee shelter for immigrant families as soon as the end of this month as the state’s shelter system reaches capacity, Gov. Maura Healey said Monday.

There are close to 7,000 families enrolled in the state’s emergency shelter system, Healey said Monday — more than double the number of individuals enrolled at this time last year, and up significantly from the 5,600 families being housed when Healey declared a state of emergency in August.

“We do not have enough space, service providers or funds to safely expand beyond 7,500 families. We expect to hit that limit at the end of the month,” Healey said during a State House news conference. “From that point on, we’ll no longer be able to guarantee shelter placement for new families entering.”

At over 23,000 people, the rapidly growing number of people in emergency shelter housing has now exceeded the population of 262 of the 351 municipalities in Massachusetts, based on 2020 census data.

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Read more at The Berkshire Eagle.

Restraining order law doesn’t adequately protect roommates (Boston Globe)

Below is an excerpt from an editorial published on September 11 by the Boston Globe calling for clarity and legal protection for college students experiencing abuse or assault by their roommate. Massachusetts Law Reform Institute’s (MLRI) Deputy Director Jamie Sabino is quoted.

As college students start classes this fall, it’s the worst of the worst-case scenarios: What if that new roommate turns out to be not just a bad fit but outright violent?

Such cases are, no doubt, rare — and colleges should be able to sort out most of them. But if a victim needs to go to law enforcement, it turns out there’s a loophole in state law that leaves college students and other people living in nontraditional joint living arrangements with insufficient recourse.

If a family member is abusive, the victim can get a restraining order. But the restraining order law, it seems, wasn’t crafted with all modern living situations in mind, leaving gaps in who can be legally protected from violent living situations. If the court does not clarify the law, the Legislature should, while ensuring that the rights of the alleged victim and the accused are protected.

Read more at the Boston Globe.

Senior Immigration Attorney – MLRI

Deadline to Apply: Application materials will be reviewed and interviews will be scheduled on a rolling basis; interested and qualified candidates are strongly encouraged to submit application materials promptly.

The Opportunity: Massachusetts Law Reform Institute (MLRI) seeks an experienced attorney to join MLRI’s Immigration Practice Group. The Sr. Staff Attorney will play a lead role in crafting and carrying out MLRI’s immigration/immigrant rights agenda – through federal court litigation, administrative/legislative and other policy advocacy, and coalition-building with legal aid, community-based, and immigrants’ rights organizations statewide and nationally. The position will be supervised by MLRI’s Sr. Immigration Attorney Iris Gomez.

About MLRI: MLRI is a nationally recognized nonprofit poverty law and policy center that provides statewide advocacy and leadership in advancing laws, policies, and practices that secure economic, racial, and social justice for low-income people and communities. We pursue systems change through litigation, legislative and administrative advocacy, coalition building, community lawyering, and other strategies that address systemic harm to low-income people. MLRI is also the statewide multi-issue poverty law support center for the Massachusetts civil legal aid delivery system; our advocates provide substantive expertise and technical assistance to frontline legal aid field program advocates and to many other advocates and providers who serve low-income people and communities in Massachusetts. MLRI leads and coordinates a number of statewide advocacy coalitions in substantive issues areas, including the very active Immigration Coalition which has over 150 members. Visit www.mlri.org.

Desired Qualifications & Experience:

  • Law degree and admission to any state bar;
  • Minimum 7 years post-law school legal experience;
  • Experience in the immigrant rights/immigration law field and a demonstrated commitment to immigrant rights issues that affect low-income people;
  • Litigation experience at the trial and/or appellate level, as amicus, and/or in affirmative litigation;
  • Strong writing and legal research skills;
  • Strong leadership skills and the ability to develop and advance advocacy strategies, including systemic litigation and advocacy campaigns, in collaboration with partners;
  • Experience effectively collaborating with racially, ethnically, and socioeconomically diverse community groups and coalitions; and
  • Commitment to MLRI’s anti-poverty mission and to the immigration practice group’s mission and collaborative work style

Core Responsibilities:

  • Identify, develop, and implement effective administrative, legislative, and other policy advocacy and litigation strategies, in collaboration with MLRI’s Immigration team and our statewide Immigration Coalition members;
  • Provide legal and technical support and expertise to policymakers, legal services program staff, and community organizations on immigration law issues and other areas of law in which immigration law affects the rights of low-income immigrants;
  • Develop legal training programs, presentations, and other materials and resources to carry out the Immigration Practice Group priorities and MLRI’s mission;
  • Share responsibility with the rest of MLRI’s Immigration team for leading and coordinating our advocacy and support work, supervising interns, and assisting with immigration-related fundraising.

Salary and Benefits:

  • MLRI offers competitive salaries, excellent benefits, and a supportive working environment. MLRI provides a very generous benefits including health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, 403(b) plan employer contribution of 3% after 6 months of employment, as well as vacation, holiday, and family leave.
  • MLRI’s Staff Attorney salaries are based on scale and are commensurate with skills and years of relevant post-JD attorney experience. For example, for this position the salary range is $78,000-105,000 depending on applicant level of experience. Internal equity considerations and average salary of the peer range will be reviewed and taken into consideration.
  • MLRI is currently operating on a hybrid in-office / remote schedule (3 days in office/2 days remote for full time employees).

How to Apply:

  • Please email a cover letter, resume and a legal writing sample with “Sr. Immigration Atty” in the subject line to: humanresources@mlri.org

Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion

MLRI is an equal opportunity employer that values a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. We believe that having a staff, board, and volunteers with diverse personal and professional backgrounds and lived experience enhances our ability to meet our mission and creates an environment where all members of our community can thrive. We strongly encourage applications from women, people of color, immigrants, persons with disabilities, members of the LGBTQ+ community, people with lived experience of poverty, and people from underrepresented and historically marginalized groups.

Massachsuetts legislature reviving program to prevent evictions (Fall River Reporter)

Below is an excerpt from a July 31 article published by the Fall River Reporter discussing the return of a pandemic-era housing protection program. Massachusetts Law Reform Institute’s (MLRI) Director of Community Driven Advocacy Andrea Park is quoted.

STATE HOUSE, BOSTON, JULY 31, 2023 — A pandemic-era program that paused roughly 10,000 eviction cases while tenants sought financial aid could return as a permanent tool if Gov. Maura Healey joins lawmakers in support.

The compromise fiscal year 2024 annual state budget approved by the Legislature on Monday revives “Chapter 257” protections. Anti-homelessness advocates say the protections are a key strategy to keep Bay Staters in their homes while landlord groups say tenants have exploited the program.

Language in the conference committee report filed Sunday night effectively mirrors the previous program, which lawmakers kept in place for much of the COVID-19 emergency before allowing it to expire on March 31.

Read more at the Fall River Reporter.

Immigration/Immigrant Rights Senior Staff Attorney – MLRI

Deadline to Apply: Application materials will be reviewed and interviews will be scheduled on a rolling basis; interested and qualified candidates are strongly encouraged to submit application materials promptly.

The Opportunity: Massachusetts Law Reform Institute (MLRI) seeks an experienced attorney to join MLRI’s Immigration Practice Group. The Sr. Staff Attorney will play a lead role in crafting and carrying out MLRI’s immigration/immigrant rights agenda – through federal court litigation, administrative/legislative and other policy advocacy, and coalition-building with legal aid, community-based, and immigrants’ rights organizations statewide and nationally. The position will be supervised by MLRI’s Sr. Immigration Attorney Iris Gomez.

About MLRI: MLRI is a nationally recognized nonprofit poverty law and policy center that provides statewide advocacy and leadership in advancing laws, policies, and practices that secure economic, racial, and social justice for low-income people and communities. We pursue systems change through litigation, legislative and administrative advocacy, coalition building, community lawyering, and other strategies that address systemic harm to low-income people. MLRI is also the statewide multi-issue poverty law support center for the Massachusetts civil legal aid delivery system; our advocates provide substantive expertise and technical assistance to frontline legal aid field program advocates and to many other advocates and providers who serve low- income people and communities in Massachusetts. MLRI leads and coordinates a number of statewide advocacy coalitions in substantive issues areas, including the very active Immigration Coalition which has over 150 members. Visit www.mlri.org.

Desired Qualifications & Experience:

  • Law degree and admission to any state bar;
  • Minimum 7 years post-law school legal experience;
  • Experience in the immigrant rights/immigration law field and a demonstrated commitment to immigrant rights issues that affect low-income people;
  • Litigation experience at the trial and/or appellate level, as amicus, and/or in affirmative litigation;
  • Strong writing and legal research skills;
  • Strong leadership skills and the ability to develop and advance advocacy strategies, including systemic litigation and advocacy campaigns, in collaboration with partners;
  • Experience effectively collaborating with racially, ethnically, and socioeconomically diverse community groups and coalitions; and
  • Commitment to MLRI’s anti-poverty mission and to the immigration practice group’s mission and collaborative work style.

Core Responsibilities:

  • Identify, develop, and implement effective administrative, legislative, and other policy advocacy and litigation strategies, in collaboration with MLRI’s Immigration team and our statewide Immigration Coalition members;
  • Provide legal and technical support and expertise to policymakers, legal services program staff, and community organizations on immigration law issues and other areas of law in which immigration law affects the rights of low-income immigrants;
  • Develop legal training programs, presentations, and other materials and resources to carry out the Immigration Practice Group priorities and MLRI’s mission;
  • Share responsibility with the rest of MLRI’s Immigration team for leading and coordinating our advocacy and support work, supervising interns, and assisting with immigration-related fundraising.

Salary and Benefits:

  • MLRI offers competitive salaries, excellent benefits, and a supportive working environment. MLRI provides very generous benefits including health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, 403(b) plan employer contribution of 3% after 6 months of employment, as well as vacation, holiday, and family leave.
  • MLRI’s Staff Attorney salaries are based on a scale and are commensurate with skills and years of relevant post-JD attorney experience. For example, for this position the salary range is $78,000-105,000 depending on applicant level of experience. Internal equity considerations and average salary of the peer range will be reviewed and taken into consideration.
  • MLRI is currently operating on a hybrid in-office / remote schedule.

How to Apply:

  • Please email a cover letter, resume and a legal writing sample with “Sr. Immigration Atty” in the subject line to: humanresources@mlri.org

Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion

MLRI is an equal opportunity employer that values a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. We believe that having a staff, board, and volunteers with diverse personal and professional backgrounds and lived experience enhances our ability to meet our mission and creates an environment where all members of our community can thrive. We strongly encourage applications from women, people of color, immigrants, persons with disabilities, members of the LGBTQ+ community, people with lived experience of poverty, and people from underrepresented and historically marginalized groups.

Project Coordinator, Massachusetts Legal Aid Websites Project – MLRI

Deadline to Apply: This is a fast-track hire. Application materials will be reviewed and interviews will be scheduled on a rolling basis; interested and qualified candidates are strongly encouraged to submit application materials promptly.

The Opportunity: MLRI is seeking an energetic self-starter to join the Massachusetts Legal Aid Websites Project as a Project Coordinator. This newly created position will play a critical role in supporting three Website Project staff members and five legal aid websites that collectively provide legal information, referrals, advocacy support and pro bono opportunities for attorneys and low-income Massachusetts residents. This is a full-time position that reports to the Director of the Massachusetts Legal Aid Websites Project. It is an exciting opportunity for someone who is passionate about using their skills and talents to promote social justice.

About MLRI: Founded in 1968, MLRI is a nationally-recognized nonprofit poverty law and policy center. Our mission is to provide statewide advocacy and leadership that advances economic, racial, and social justice for low-income people and communities. We pursue systems change through litigation, legislative and administrative advocacy, coalition building, community lawyering, and other strategies to address laws, policies and practices that harm low-income people. MLRI’s advocacy incorporates a racial equity lens and a community-driven framework that centers the voices and experiences of people with lived experience of poverty, economic, and racial injustice. MLRI is also the statewide multi-issue poverty law support center in the Massachusetts civil legal aid delivery system; our advocates provide substantive expertise and technical assistance to frontline legal aid field programs and many other providers who serve low-income people and communities in Massachusetts. Visit www.mlri.org.

About the Massachusetts Legal Aid Websites Project: The Massachusetts Legal Aid Websites Project, launched in 2005, uses technology to further access to justice. It currently consists of four statewide websites – MassLegalHelp.org, MassLegalServices.org, MassLRF.org and MassLAO.org – that provide legal information and resources to low-income people, as well as to a wide network of legal aid and other providers who serve low-income people. In the summer of 2023, we are adding a fifth website – MassProBono.org – to our portfolio, to connect private attorneys seeking volunteer opportunities with civil legal aid programs. The Websites Project is housed at and managed by MLRI.

Core Responsibilities:
This newly-created position will provide wide-ranging administrative and program support to the Websites Project, including but not limited to:

  • Posting and updating large volumes of content to the websites using Content Management Systems (primarily Drupal) including editing and reformatting content to meet web accessibility standards.
  • Posting translations of English content to MassLegalHelp.org
  • Maintaining the Pro Bono Opportunities section of the MassProBono.org website, including reaching out to programs on a regular basis for updates.
  • Maintaining the Legal Aid Program Directory on MassLRF.org, including reaching out to programs on a regular basis for updates.
  • Supporting the advisory committees for the various websites, including meeting scheduling and notetaking.
  • Assisting with managing statewide email lists that are linked to our websites.
  • Assisting with outreach to attorneys, community partners, attorneys and the general public.
  • Assisting with user testing.
  • Assisting with Google Analytics reporting.
  • Providing tech support for online trainings and events.
  • Additional responsibilities as assigned from time to time.

Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s degree
  • 0-2 years relevant work experience. Poverty law and/or nonprofit legal tech experience is highly desirable.
  • You must be tech savvy, including experience with G Suite, Microsoft Office and online meeting platforms such as Zoom. Experience with a Content Management System (particularly Drupal), HTML, graphic design tools such as Canva, and/or experience creating videos or animations is a plus. Willingness and capacity to learn more about other technology platforms used by our websites is essential.
  • Excellent organizational abilities and demonstrated attention to detail are a must.
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills.
  • Demonstrated self-reliance and ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
  • Be ready to learn new tasks and skills in the context of a fast-paced environment.
  • Proficiency in reading and writing in Spanish is preferred.
  • Experience with community outreach is a plus.
  • Commitment to MLRI’s mission to serve low-income and vulnerable populations.
  • Must be authorized to work in the United States for any employee.

Salary and Benefits:

  • MLRI’s salary scale is based on experience. New college grads start between a range of $50,000 – $60,000 per year
  • MLRI provides a very generous benefits package including health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, 403(b) plan including a 3% employer contribution after a vesting period of 6 months, as well as vacation, holiday, and family leave.

Location:
MLRI is located in Boston, Massachusetts. We have a hybrid work environment.

How to Apply:
Please email a cover letter outlining experience and qualifications and a resume to humanresources@mlri.org, with “Website Project Coordinator” in the subject line. No phone calls please.

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
MLRI is an equal opportunity employer that values a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. We believe that having a staff, board, and volunteers with diverse personal and professional backgrounds and lived experience enhances our ability to meet our mission and creates an environment where all members of our community can thrive. We strongly encourage applications from women, people of color, immigrants, persons with disabilities, members of the LGBTQ community, people with lived experience of poverty, and people from underrepresented and historically marginalized groups.

Advocates seek further eviction protections (The Eagle Tribune)

In a March 21 article, The Eagle Tribune reported on a letter signed by representatives from 100 advocacy groups to extend Massachusetts’s Chapter 257 law, which blocks eviction proceedings for tenants who are seeking public assistance to pay their rent. Among the letter signers were leaders from Massachusetts Law Reform Institute and Greater Boston Legal Services. An excerpt from the article is below.

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BOSTON — With pandemic-related eviction protections set to expire at the end of the month, advocates are pushing for an extension to give state lawmakers more time to make the rules permanent.

In a letter to legislative leaders and Trial Court officials, a coalition of 100 social welfare, public health and legal aid groups called for a more than year-long extension to the Chapter 257 law, which blocks eviction proceedings for tenants who are seeking public assistance to pay their rent.

The protections, which were approved by the state Legislature in 2020 and extended twice, are set to expire March 31. The coalition wants Beacon Hill leaders to extend the law’s sunset date until July 31, 2024, “to allow more time for a permanent solution to be put into place.”

“Allowing this critical tool to expire now could result in evictions where tenancies could have been resolved with rental assistance, pushing many families and individuals into homelessness,” they wrote. “There is broad agreement among policymakers that residents across Massachusetts are experiencing a housing crisis.”

The coalition, which includes the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless, Greater Boston Legal Services and several United Way chapters, said the law “ensures that tenants are not needlessly displaced and maximizes rental assistance payments to landlords.”

The law also requires landlords to upload notice-to-quit letters to a state tracking system, the coalition wrote, “enabling agencies administering rental assistance to conduct outreach to landlords and tenants to prevent evictions.”

“While not perfect, Chapter 257 has been an essential protection for tenants waiting for rental assistance applications to be processed,” they wrote.

Read the full article in The Eagle Tribune. 

This story was also covered in The Salem News on March 27.

How Beacon Hill could expand abortion care for pregnant teens in Mass.

In an article published on February 24, MassLive.com reported on a movement to change the law that currently requires minors under 16 who seek an abortion to either obtain parental consent or go to court and request permission from a superior court judge. Jamie Sabino, Deputy Director of Advocacy at the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute (MLRI), is quoted in the article, which is excerpted below.

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For nearly four decades, a cohort of Massachusetts lawyers have wrangled Beacon Hill lawmakers to remove hurdles for young people seeking abortion care independently, without involving their parents.

The ROE Act, which the Legislature passed in December 2020, expanded access to 16- and 17-year-old individuals, who no longer need parental consent to get an abortion or circumvent their parents by going to court and receiving permission for the procedure from a superior court judge.

But in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade last year, Jamie Sabino, co-chair of a panel of lawyers that helps minors navigate the judicial bypass process, said there’s heightened urgency to reform what she says is a fraught system that punishes a small fraction of Bay Staters who are younger than 16 and desperately want an abortion.

Sabino, deputy director of advocacy at the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, estimates that about 20 individuals younger than 16 are forced to go to court annually to avoid backlash from their parents or guardians. Other teens may cross state lines, such as those who live in Springfield and can receive an abortion in Hartford without needing to involve their parents, she said.

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Read the full article on MassLive.com. 

States Scramble to Replace Ripped-Off SNAP Benefits (Pew Trusts)

In a February 13 article, The Pew Charitable Trusts reported on the sophisticated electronic theft scam that left many Massachusetts residents without critical Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Betsy Gwin of the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute (MLRI) is quoted. An excerpt from the article is below.

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Last September, when Baltimore resident Tzu Yang went grocery shopping for his intellectually disabled daughter with a food benefits card that he thought was worth about $300, he discovered at the checkout that the card had no value left. The same thing happened in October, November and December.

The benefits meant for Hawlie Yang, age 37 but with the mental capacity of a 5-year-old, were being systematically stolen.

Tzu Yang contacted local authorities but never got the money back. The stolen electronic benefits were used locally and as far away as New York, he discovered. But neither he nor police could find out who filched them, and the state agencies involved provided no help or reimbursement.

They told him there’s no returning of benefits stolen from electronic benefit transfer, or EBT, cards, Yang, a retired businessman, said in a phone interview.

Yang is not alone. All over the country, state agencies and people who receive aid through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps, are reporting the theft of millions of dollars in benefits. And unlike regular credit or debit cards where refunds are often available when thieves poach funds, EBT cards don’t have those protections. That leaves many victims with no recourse.

Read the full article on the Pew Charitable Trusts Stateline blog.