The transition from summer to fall looks different amid a global pandemic. At a time when we usually pause to commemorate the contributions and achievements of workers on Labor Day, we instead saw hospitality workers continuing to struggle to navigate a complicated unemployment benefits system. Working parents are again having to balance hybrid learning schedules with the demands of working full-time to support their families. Nearly a month after Hurricane Laura, thousands of families in southwest Louisiana are still displaced.
SLLS is here to ensure vulnerable families are not left behind as we try to create another new normal. We’re still providing support to hurricane evacuees temporarily sheltering in our area, and our team has worked overtime to create resources on navigating unemployment benefits, what the CDC eviction moratorium means, and what your rights are when it comes to safe court and school environments.
Thank you for your continued support in the fight for fairness!
Laura Tuggle
Executive Director
SLLS Fights For Working Families Impacted by COVID-19
T.M. was desperate to keep a roof over the heads of her 4 children after getting served with an eviction notice. Since separating from her husband several years ago, being temporarily out of work due to COVID, and having no income to rely upon because of a problem with her unemployment benefits claim, she was at her wit’s end. She saw an announcement on the local news that the New Orleans Public Library had a new Virtual Legal Clinic in partnership with SLLS. She called the local library, signed up for the clinic, and was soon talking with an SLLS intake worker. Instead of waiting for the next Virtual Legal Clinic in two weeks, she was immediately connected to an SLLS Housing Attorney since she had an emergency eviction.
The SLLS attorney convinced her landlord to work out a payment plan with T.M. to stop her family’s eviction. Her landlord agreed to accept rental assistance and the remaining balance that T.M. had cobbled together from family resources. This stopped the eviction and T.M. was thrilled when her job called her back to work albeit with reduced hours. During this process, her SLLS Housing attorney connected T.M. with another SLLS attorney specializing in unemployment compensation issues. We are delighted to report that T.M. was recently approved for $7,870 in retroactive unemployment benefits to further stabilize her family.
SLLS Receives United Way Grant to Support Struggling Hospitality Industry Professionals
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, over 50% of new applications for our services have been from hospitality workers. We are excited to announce our partnership with United Way of Southeast Louisiana to provide one-on-one direct civil legal aid and offer monthly online events and informational sessions to hospitality industry professionals who have been impacted by COVID-19.
The Justice and Accountability Center, SLLS, and other partners are pleased to host a free, outdoor re-entry legal clinic for formerly incarcerated residents of Orleans and Jefferson parishes to help them remove barriers to employment.
Date: Thursday, October 8, 2020
Time:5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Location: A.L. Davis Playground, 2600 LaSalle St., New Orleans, LA
SLLS Supports Hurricane Laura Evacuees
SLLS housing law unit staff attorney Elizabeth Harvey participated in the New Orleans Hurricane Laura Resource Fair, providing evacuees with information on the legal assistance that is available to them during the recovery process.