Legal Aid Society Of Palm Beach County Inc

The Fair Housing Project - The Individual Rights Advocacy initiative offers community outreach, education, advocacy, and enforcement activities related to fair housing laws. Its goal is to ensure that individuals in Palm Beach, Martin, Okeechobee, Hendry, and St. Lucie counties are not denied housing based on race, sex, color, religion, national origin, handicap, familial status, sexual orientation, age, marital status, or gender identity and expression. Besides advocating for victims of fair housing discrimination, the project also represents tenants facing eviction, ensuring their rights under the Florida Landlord Tenant Act are upheld. During the fiscal year 2023-24, the Fair Housing Project staff served 1,765 clients.

The Elder Law Project - Elder Advocacy offers legal advice, consultation, education, and representation to seniors aged 60 and above who are economically and socially disadvantaged. The project addresses issues such as elder abuse and exploitation, housing law, real property law, consumer law, guardianship matters, family law, and government benefits like Social Security, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Medicare, and Medicaid. In the fiscal year 2023-2024, the Elder Law Project staff at Legal Aid assisted 1,714 seniors in our community.

The Domestic Violence Project offers survivors of abuse legal advice, consultation, and help with filing injunctions for protection (restraining orders), as well as representation at hearings for these injunctions. The project aims to protect clients from further violence and promote stability by establishing parenting plans and securing financial support for survivors when needed. In addition to legal assistance, the project provides referrals to community resources, helping survivors access personalized safety planning, support groups, transitional housing, and financial resources. In the fiscal year 2023-2024, the Domestic Violence Project served 1,751 clients.

During FY 2023-2024 other legal counseling services were provided to 6,636 individuals.