The Homeless Need You!

Helping a client reach a desired outcome is always satisfying, and helping those who otherwise are denied access to the legal system is equally gratifying. If you are looking for ways to fulfill your pro bono responsibilities, consider the plight of our fellow citizens whose needs are underserved and overlooked.

Consider what “Mary” told us: “This is my worst nightmare!” Sixty-two, unable to work, with no family or friends to provide support, Mary was forced to seek refuge in a homeless shelter. She was terrified. So were “Angela” and her two minor children. The medications Angela needed slowed her performance, and she was fired from eight jobs in two months. “Bill,” a veteran, employed all his life as a welder, was now homeless. He could no longer work because of arthritis.

These are real stories we have encountered at the Homeless Legal Assistance Project (HLAP), a program of Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma Inc., serving the homeless in Tulsa County. We strive to remove legal barriers to income and housing. For Mary, Angela and Bill, we were able to secure disability benefits, and they now have income, housing and security. Many others could also benefit from legal assistance, but our time and resources are limited.

You can help. The homeless need assistance navigating the bureaucratic maze to obtain benefits like subsidized housing, disability or veterans benefits. Two-thirds of all Social Security disability applications are denied, but more than half of all appeals are successful. Without advocates though, many of the homeless just give up. This is true for all types of public benefits. The right to appeal, often successful, is left unfulfilled.

The homeless also face obstacles with child support, property claims, probate, insurance, pension and wage disputes, and many other issues all Oklahomans face. Your assistance could provide an escape from the shelters and the streets.

Who are the homeless? They are people like us. Some are ravaged by alcoholism and substance abuse. Some are persons with mental illnesses. Many are hard workers and families with children, who, because of age, illness, injury or other circumstances, are unemployed and lack a support network. Thirty percent are veterans. Numerous public and private organizations attempt to help with housing, health care and treatment, but often there are legal barriers to housing and income.

How can you help? You can sign up with Legal Aid’s pro bono attorney panel, or contact other groups that provide assistance to the homeless. Legal Aid referrals to volunteer attorneys are pre-screened, and free training with CLE credit is also available.

There are challenges. The homeless do not have reliable access to phones or the mail. Documentation has often been lost and is difficult to locate. Attorneys have to accommodate clients that just drop in, because they lack transportation or have other immediate needs that make scheduling appointments an impossible hurdle.

One area where assistance is desperately needed is in addressing fines and court costs. With no income and fearing incarceration, the homeless are reluctant to appear in court pro se. When that happens, bench warrants are issued that make them ineligible for public housing or other benefits. For the most part, these are not persons avoiding responsibility but people with limited income who are intimidated by our legal system. They need an advocate to work out a payment plan or help them sign up for community service. Except for the most unreliable defendants, we have found the courts are sympathetic and accommodating once their stories are told.

You can make a real difference. For information on how you can get involved, contact Sunny Langdon, our pro bono coordinator in Tulsa, at (918) 295-9422 or via e-mail at Karen.Langdon@laok.org, or Cindy Goble in Oklahoma City at (405) 488-6823 or via e-mail at cindy.goble@laok.org.

Your legal expertise is needed. You will not only have fulfilled your professional responsibilities, but delivered fellow citizens from hopelessness and despair. The satisfaction you get when you see the beaming face of the formerly homeless is, well, priceless