LASCO Tenant Advocacy Project: Providing Housing Stability

LASCO Tenant Advocacy Project gives local family housing stability, wellness back

When Columbus resident Mandy met with Legal Aid of Southwest and Central Ohio (LASCO) intake coordinators, she was sick, mentally and emotionally exhausted, and facing a pending eviction.

Her rental home had mold issues that led to continual illness for the mother of three, impacting her ability to work. As the backbone of her family, admitting she needed help wasn’t easy.

“It was embarrassing going through this. I didn’t want people to know. I didn’t know what to do. I was overwhelmed and felt like everything was falling apart,” she said.

Needing assistance with complicated legal jargon and court paperwork, she came to LASCO, where Justice for All Fellow Santiago Garcia-Mata and Supervising Housing Attorney Melissa Lenz helped her navigate negotiations with her landlord.

“Everyone deserves a safe place to call home. In this case, we were able to help our client get the time she needed to find a stable place to raise her children,” said Garcia-Mata.

Garcia-Mata and Lenz are just two LASCO attorneys representing Legal Aid’s growing Tenant Advocacy Project (TAP).

The TAP team helped Mandy connect to rental assistance through Franklin County’s Rentful platform and secure a new, mold-free home.

With secure, safe housing, Mandy’s mental and physical health is stabilizing, and she’s been able to return to work full-time while maintaining the energy to enjoy life with her children.

“Now my kids have a place to sleep, and I feel like I can finally breathe again,” she said. “My lawyer was my rock. I’m grateful for Legal Aid.”

Need legal assistance or want to contribute? You can view legal clinic calendars, volunteer opportunities, and ways to support LASCO’s mission of empowering low-income Ohioans facing legal issues at lasco.org