After 34 years of service, our Executive Director, Kenneth Schorr, will retire on April 8, 2022. While leading an effective and dynamic program of individual and systemic advocacy, Ken’s concluding goals were to lead our organization through its 50th anniversary celebration and rebranding in 2017, conduct a successful capital campaign, and acquire and move to a new building. As our capital campaign approaches our goal, and our organization will move to our new office in early 2022, those goals are nearly complete.
Ken began his service as Executive Director for Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy in April 1988. During his tenure, he recruited and supported lawyers and other staff to be experts in their areas of legal practice, provided individual client assistance in employment and other areas of law, and assisted other advocates across the range of our legal practice. Throughout his career, he has worked to keep our agency focused on the clients and community we serve, expert and agile in its work, and connected and collaborated with partners and supporters.
Ken’s professional career has been committed to helping those who are disadvantaged or disfavored in our community. We have all been impacted by his dedication.
The Advocacy Center Board has appointed a Search Committee, chaired by Jose Vega, Wells Fargo and Ed O’Keefe, Moore and Van Allen. The Search Committee and the Advocacy Center Board of Directors have selected Elinvar Leadership Solutions to support the executive search and to ensure a smooth transition. Although Ken’s determination and tenacity leading our organization will be missed, he leaves the Advocacy Center in a strong position to move forward with new leadership. Through this transition, the Advocacy Center will continue to work tirelessly to fulfill our mission to pursue justice for those in need.
Racial Justice Implications of Recent Legal Decisions
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In pivotal cases in courtrooms across America, we have seen victories and movement toward a more just and equal country, while also being reminded that there is still more work to be done.
Our legal system shows progress in the fight against racism
On November 18th, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt granted clemency to Julius Jones hours before his scheduled execution. Jones had spent 19 years on death row for a 1999 murder that new compelling evidence suggests he did not commit. Governor Stitt took action after years of pleading and advocacy by the public, including a petition with more than 6.5 million signatures. Supporters argued that Jones, a Black man, was not given a fair trial and that racism played a role in his sentencing. Research has found that a disproportionate number of death-row inmates are Black, and that Black defendants accused of killing white people are more likely to be executed. While the governor granted clemency, Jones still faces a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Days later, organizers of the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville were held liable for inciting violence against counter protesters in 2017. The verdict was a clear admonishment of the defendants, a mix of white nationalists, neo-Nazis and Confederate sympathizers.
And finally, on November 24th, three white men were found guilty of murdering Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man, in what many viewed as a modern-day lynching. Arbery was chased down and killed by the men while jogging through their neighborhood. Arbery’s family and supporters across the nation found some solace in the jury of mostly white citizens affirming that killing an unarmed Black man was not only morally wrong, but legally wrong as well.
The work is not finished
Our nation was divided on November 19th when jurors found Kyle Rittenhouse not guilty in his shooting of three men during racial justice protests in 2020. Jurors determined that Rittenhouse acted in self-defense in accordance with Wisconsin law. Those in opposition to the verdict argued that Rittenhouse, a young white man, benefited from a blatant racial double standard. Many have argued that if Rittenhouse was Black, he would not have been released on bail, nor had a public trial to plead his innocence. Activists also raised concerns that racial justice protestors could lawfully be deemed a threat by armed vigilantes.
The underlying truth in these cases is that violence and injustice against people of color has gone on for far too long. Our legal system has historically justified the killing of Black men and women, serving as an affront to the claims of justice for all. Furthermore, men and women of color face implicit bias and systemic racism in our courtrooms, resulting in disproportionate negative outcomes in criminal legal proceedings. Justice should not be based on the color of your skin.
Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy stands with the Black community
The Advocacy Center’s vision is to build a just community where all people are treated fairly and have access to legal representation. The long-standing inequities of our criminal justice system have been laid bare, yet we know firsthand that our civil legal system is equally rife with injustices. We must stand as a community to say that Black lives matter. But so too does the quality of life to which they are afforded. At the Advocacy Center, it is our mission to address the disproportionate impact of civil legal issues threatening our neighbors of color, improve our clients’ quality of life, ensure stability, and promote opportunity.
The verdicts in the Charlottesville, Jones and Arbery trials may bring us closer to a world of justice for all, but we know it is just one step in a very long journey. We continue to watch cases where Black defendants have made similar claims of self-defense. In Wisconsin, Chrystul Kizer, a young Black woman and a victim of abuse, faces criminal charges for murdering her sex trafficker when she was 17. And in Georgia, Marc Wilson, a young Black man, faces criminal charges for killing a white female after firing defensive shots at her vehicle. The young woman and co-passengers of her vehicle had targeted Wilson with racial epithets, threw glass bottles at his vehicle, and attempted to run Wilson off the road. It is our hope that the outcome of these cases will demonstrate that Black defendants can and must receive the same deference and protection afforded by a self-defense argument as white defendants. For now, the fight continues and we remain hopeful that one day justice for all will not only be said, but shown.
Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy Launches Medicaid Storytelling
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Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy is partnering with the National Health Law Program (NHeLP) for a Medicaid storytelling project to learn how Medicaid has impacted North Carolinians. We encourage anyone to share their experience with Medicaid, whether it is good or bad, and how having or not having Medicaid has made a difference.
Those interested in participating can email Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy, call us at 980-202-7334 or record a video.
The stories we collect will be used to help identify problems and successes that can be used for advocacy to improve Medicaid. Your participation can secure health access and equity for all people and communities.
To learn more in about this project in English, click here. Para aprender más sobre como compartir su historia, haga clic aquí.
Charlotte Center For Legal Advocacy Hosts U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Becerra
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Charlotte, NC – Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and U.S. Rep. Alma Adams visited Charlotte Center For Legal Advocacy and Legal Aid of North Carolina. They conducted a roundtable discussion on local and national health care with representatives of NC Navigator Consortium and other leading figures in the Charlotte community.
The director of NC Navigator Consortium, Mark Van Arnam, answering one of Secretary Becerra’s questions.
Secretary Becerra and Rep. Adams thanked Charlotte Center For Legal Advocacy and the representatives of NC Navigator Consortium for the results they have achieved getting those in need connected to COVID-19 vaccinations and affordable health care coverage. Secretary Becerra mentioned that President Biden’s new American Families Plan is an important building block of the Affordable Care Act. Secretary Becerra and Rep. Adams made it clear their top priority is increasing vaccination rates and promised to meet the people where they are in order to make it happen.
Secretary Becerra and U.S. Rep Alma Adams taking a tour of Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy with health insurance navigator Natalie Marles.Secretary Becerra and U.S. Rep Alma Adams discussing the importance of increasing vaccination rates with the media.
Anyone in need of health insurance coverage is encouraged to learn more about how to “get covered” on the Charlotte Center For Legal Advocacy website. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Biden administration has announced a Special Open Enrollment Period that will remain open until August 15, 2021. First-time consumers or individuals who have lost their health coverage can enroll in a plan during this time, and existing consumers can switch plans. NC Navigator Consortium Health Insurance Navigators are standing by to help.
Charlotte Center For Legal Advocacy can provide those in need with information, advice and advocacy in consumer protection, home preservation, health care access and public benefits, immigration, tax assistance and more. Our mission is to pursue justice for those in need. Our vision is to build a just community, where all people are treated fairly and have access to legal representation to meet their basic human needs of safety, economic security and stability.
Recognizing Juneteenth is A Start
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This week Congress overwhelmingly approved a measure that President Biden signed into law to designate Juneteenth as a federal holiday—a long overdue recognition of a critical moment in our nation’s history.
On June 19, 1865 in Galveston, Texas, the last group of enslaved people in the U.S. learned they were free two years after the Emancipation Proclamation ending slavery had been issued.
Today, we celebrate Juneteenth to commemorate the end of slavery and persevere as we continue on the long journey toward freedom.
Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy has chosen to observe the holiday each year by closing its offices. We will be closed on Friday, June 18, this year. We do so to give our staff time for celebration, education and connection.
We applaud Congress for this recognition, but we also demand that lawmakers prioritize racial equity with the same level of support when it comes to economic mobility, education, health care, housing, policing and voting rights.
James Baldwin famously said, “Not everything that is faced can be changed; but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”
Recognizing Juneteenth is a small step toward racial reconciliation for our country, but we cannot begin to eradicate the racist systems that rule our society without addressing our shameful past head on.
Juneteenth is that starting point. It encourages dialogue around the deferred dream of freedom that has always existed for Black people in the United States and what our nation truly values.
Black people were not included when the phrase “justice for all” was originally championed in the vision laid out for our country. Since then, systems of power have intentionally kept Black Americans from being included.
On Juneteenth we imagine what our country could be if we prioritized racial justice and equity to build a truly inclusive democracy that realizes the ideals our country was founded upon.
Equal justice for all is impossible to realize without this hard, necessary work.
At Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy, we fight for equal justice under the law every day for our clients, a majority of whom are people of color disproportionately impacted by poverty.
We commit to actively dismantling these systems through our work.
We are striving to build a more just community. And doing so requires taking a hard look at our practices and making sure that everything we do lives up to our standard of justice—one that truly ensures equity and opportunity for all.
Thank you for supporting us in these efforts.
Happy Juneteenth from Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy.
Reflect: While slavery ended in 1865, the racist system it built persists today. Use June 19 as a day to reflect on critical issues that perpetuate discrimination against Black people in America and throughout the world.
Place a sign in your front yard: Raise awareness and show your support for Juneteenth by decorating a sign for your front yard or door. This is a great way to help educate younger kids in your neighborhood who may not know about the holiday.
Celebrate with a cookout: Gather your friends and family together (safely) to celebrate freedom.
Keep the spirit of this special day alive by continuing to fight for justice for ALL!
NCBA Honors Robinson Bradshaw, Access to Justice Pro Bono Partner, with State-wide Award
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Three huge projects. One unprecedented year. Despite the challenges and legal boom of 2020, Robinson Bradshaw took charge in their pro bono initiatives. For their unyielding commitment to pro bono service demonstrated by their undertaking of several complex and impactful projects during 2020, the North Carolina Bar Association granted Robinson Bradshaw the Law Firm Pro Bono Award with Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy’s nomination.
In the first project, Robinson Bradshaw successfully litigated against the Lake Arbor Apartments with Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy and the North Carolina Justice Center. Led by Julian Wright, the firm was instrumental in securing over $547,000 in settlement funds for tenants who were forced to pay rent for sub-standard housing. Wright says: “Where you live is important. For a lot of people, it’s the base of their life, it’s the place from where they go out into the world and do things they want to do, it’s where families are raised.”
Overall, Julian Wright, Caroline Reinwald, Tami Redi, Adam Wehler, Adam Doerr, Andy Tarr, David Wright, Erik Zimmerman, Satyra Riggins and Jake Raynor donated 510 hours of legal services to the Lake Arbor case. Because of these advocates’ tireless commitment, class members were reimbursed for rent paid and compensated for the violation of their rights as tenants. Furthermore, Robinson Bradshaw set a strong precedent of preserving safe and affordable housing in the Charlotte area—a key issue in the region.
Robinson Bradshaw’s second project creatively bolstered pro bono resources to represent The Advocacy Center in a real estate transaction to acquire our new building. The effort was led by Robinson Bradshaw’s Jane Ratteree, who focuses her pro bono initiatives on “helping organizations that in turn help individuals.” It is important for The Advocacy Center “to have a more dignified space. To show the clients that they are valued as clients, that they are coming to a place that’s going to treat them well and do a good job for them,” Ratteree says. Ratteree’s service will make a monumental impact on Charlotte’s legal services community, ensuring that The Advocacy Center’s staff have a modern office space for our expanding programs. Ratteree contributed nearly 250 hours to this effort.
In the third project, Robinson Bradshaw, led by attorney Adam Doerr, successfully litigated on behalf of low-income families against the State of North Carolina to ensure eligible low-income families with children would receive $335 dollars in COVID-19 relief. Almost 25,000 low-income residents applied to receive the grant after a court ordered the State to re-open the deadline for low-income families to apply, resulting in over $5 million for those most in need.
“When we realized that many of the families most in need would miss out on these critical pandemic relief funds, we knew that the Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy would have the expertise and resources to help us manage the kind of impact litigation and outreach campaign needed to ensure that these state grants actually got to the low-income families in our community,” said Doerr.
He and the Robinson Bradshaw team were attentive, swift and impressive. However, Doerr’s commitment to the successful execution of the project demonstrates his and the firm’s innovative approach to wholistic pro bono service. Doerr and team recognized that their litigative efforts were only part of the picture and did not rest until as many eligible families received the grant as possible, including negotiating contracts with a web development company and national call center provider to handle a statewide outreach effort. Overall, Robinson Bradshaw donated 581 hours to this effort.
In addition to these impactful projects, Robinson Bradshaw as a firm has donated 1,293 hours of legal services to low-income clients through the Access to Justice Pro Bono Partners Program over the years. Robinson Bradshaw routinely has several attorneys inducted to the Access to Justice Pro Bono Partners Honor Roll (requires either 20 hours of service or closure of three cases in the previous year) and the NC Pro Bono Honor Society (requires at least 50 hours of service in the previous year). Robinson Bradshaw attorneys undertake pro bono cases in areas such as wills, consumer protection, access to healthcare, immigration and others.
Julian Wright, Jane Ratteree, Adam Doerr and Robinson Bradshaw’s commitment to serving low-income families in North Carolina through these complex projects demonstrates the firm’s innovative and comprehensive approach to pro bono service. They go beyond individual case referrals to ensure the Charlotte-Mecklenburg community has equal access to justice and civil legal aid. We applaud their creative leadership of non-traditional pro bono initiatives and hope that Robinson Bradshaw’s efforts inspire other firms in the area. Congratulations!
Justice Would Bring Them Home
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Friends,
For the past month, many have followed the trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin who killed George Floyd last May. We thank the prosecution and courageous witnesses who took the stand and recounted this traumatic event in the pursuit of justice and accountability for Floyd’s family. Yesterday, the jury unanimously convicted Chauvin on all charges—of second- and third-degree murder and manslaughter.
This has been a pivotal year for the Black Lives Matter movement. We extend our gratitude to the organizers of protests, community discussions, and mutual aid efforts this year and beyond. Without your dedicated and persistent work, we would not have witnessed yesterday’s affirmation that Black lives do matter. You have our ongoing support and appreciation.
The conviction of a single police officer cannot be the close to the protests of the past year and advocacy for and by marginalized communities of the last four hundred years. As Daunte Wright’s mother, Katie Wright proclaimed, “Everybody keeps saying ‘justice.’ But unfortunately, there is never going to be justice for us. Justice would bring our son home.”
Many families of victims of police brutality and racialized violence still have not received this justice. Police and white supremacists have also unjustly killed Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Eric Garner, Eric Reason, Atatiana Jefferson, Antwon Rose II, Botham Jean, Sandra Bland, Philando Castile, Jordan Davis, Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice, Aiyana Stanley-Jones, Emmett Till, Addie Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson, Cynthia Wesley, Daunte Wright, Adam Toledo, Ma’Khia Bryant and thousands of others.
We must reimagine what justice means for American society. Standalone convictions do not reduce the need for comprehensive policy change and genuine justice.
True justice ensures no parent, child, sibling, or friend will fear police will target their loved ones. True justice guarantees everyone has an equal opportunity for success and happiness in this country. We will continue towards the pursuit of this true justice, following those who have come before, partnering with the community on the ground, and calling in all who wish to walk with us.
In solidarity,
The staff at Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy
Responding to Crisis: Marking One Year of COVID-19
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Last March, few imagined that our community would still be grappling with the coronavirus pandemic a year later.
In many ways it seems the pandemic is nearing an end after this year of hardship and loss: vaccines for the virus are increasingly available, and cases have dropped to a point where North Carolina is easing activity restrictions.
But we are only just beginning to understand the extent to which this virus has driven our neighbors to the margins of safety, economic security and family stability, laying bare the extreme inequities that have long existed in our community.
Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy has spent the last year fighting for our community’s most vulnerable residents as COVID-19 upended daily life.
As we pass this milestone, we take stock of just how much we’ve fought to advance our mission of pursuing justice this past year.
It’s work we do every day and have always done in our 50+ years of service. But COVID-19 has cast a glaring spotlight on the importance of our mission.
Pursuing justice: It’s fairness under the law. It’s equal access. It’s meeting basic needs. And it’s making sure our neighbors are equipped to endure any crisis life throws their way, including a global pandemic.
Today and every day, we continue this hard, necessary work until our community is a stronger, more just and equitable place for ALL.
Over the past year we:
Addressed immediate issues related to agency closures in our local Department of Social Services (DSS), allowing for remote application for benefits and limiting terminations and state unemployment insurance systems to tackle issues stalling federal unemployment benefits.
Prevented illegal evictions and kept vulnerable populations safely housed.
Responded to critical needs for protective orders and intervention due to a sharp increase in domestic violence incidents while our courts were operating on a limited capacity.
Monitored the changes in Medicaid, food stamps and other assistance programs to ensure coverage is not disrupted for those who need them in our community.
Advocated for language and technological access on administrative applications for health, food and income benefits to ensure all who were entitled to assistance could receive it.
Assisted people who have lost their jobs and/or health insurance navigate Affordable Care Act health coverage options and Special Enrollment Periods (SEPs).
Ensured members of our community are not falling victim to COVID-19 related scams and losing their income.
Helped immigrant families understand the unique ways the pandemic impacts employment, housing, public resources, ICE activity and immigration courts.
Read on to learn more about the need for our services and our impact over the past year.
Meeting Exacerbated Needs
Days after the first cases were reported, we shifted to remote operations, equipping staff to continue our work as the need for help grew exponentially.
For our neighbors living on economic and health margins, the pandemic has further exacerbated their instability in extreme ways.
The need for our services before the pandemic:
More than two thirds of low-income households were experiencing at least one civil legal problem that significantly impacted daily life. These rates are much higher for survivors of domestic violence, immigrants, veterans, families, and parents of children with disabilities.
In Mecklenburg County, poverty, segregation, and income inequality have pushed residents to the sidelines, concentrating distress in family stability and fortifying barriers to economic opportunity.
Children born into poor families in Mecklenburg County are among the least likely in the U.S. to escape poverty.
Public agencies closed and delayed services just as newly unemployed individuals found themselves trying to piece together a semblance of stability navigating administrative and public benefits systems for the first time.
Those already depending on these systems (people with disabilities, children, seniors, veterans and their families) were desperate to prevent the illness, hunger and homelessness that could result from losing Medicaid, Food Stamps, Social Security, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or other benefits.
The combined effects of racial, gender, ethnic, and other forms of bias create multiple barriers for people of color and women as they navigate institutions where entrenched disparities remain the status quo.
This clear intersectionality has yielded disproportionately negative impacts for people of color and women during the pandemic. Because of this reality, we have continued to identify and address systemic racism while fighting to ensure equal access to assistance.
When Mecklenburg County’s Department of Social Services (DSS) closed its offices to the public on March 18 with little notice, we fought to make sure our neighbors could still get benefits and services guaranteed to them under the law.
We made DSS agree to:
honor the date of phone calls as date of application for applicants to ensure they receive the maximum amounts of benefits allowed;
not terminate benefits for missed deadlines; and
allow late appeals, and to post clear signage in front of their buildings outlining this information.
The closure sent applicants to the agency’s call center which meant longer wait times for help.
We made sure people understood their eligibility for public benefits, helped them apply and navigate confusing administrative systems, all while ensuring their rights were protected. When programs and services changed, we kept the community informed.
We continue to advocate for extensions and flexibilities that are favorable to beneficiaries, while serving as a watchdog to ensure those policies are appropriately enforced and accessible to applicants of all backgrounds.
‘Things are smoother now.’
Like many of our neighbors, Melody was already struggling when COVID-19 turned her life upside down. We assisted her with various legal needs last year. Recently, we checked in to see how things are going for her and her family one year into the pandemic.
When someone contacts Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy for help, they are often struggling to stay afloat in a storm of crisis.
They have a big problem impacting their life but do not know how to fix it. Their problem is a symptom of various unmet legal needs that need to be addressed comprehensively to put that person on a better path.
As the primary financial support and caregiver for her family, she was trying to keep up with medical bills and fighting to keep her home as she faced foreclosure for unpaid property taxes from the mid-2000s left over from her parents’ estate.
The Advocacy Center had helped her negotiate a payment plan with the county that included forgiveness of a substantial portion of the debt.
“When the pandemic hit, I lost my job,” Melody says. “I was devastated. I thought, ‘How am I going to make those payments?’”
Melody is used to being the one helping others. But when it came to piecing together the support her family needed to remain stable, she could not do it alone.
Again, she called the Advocacy Center. We connected her with Legal Aid of North Carolina-Charlotte to help her get expanded unemployment benefits under the CARES Act to support her family.
“I’ve worked all my life and never needed any benefits,” Melody says. “I didn’t really know how that stuff went.”
As part of our work, we learned that Melody’s sister, Wendy’s social security benefits had been terminated despite her disability. The Advocacy Center stepped back in to ensure she was receiving the benefits she was entitled to.
We also helped Wendy apply for food stamps to help their family through this crisis. Melody would soon turn 65, so we also ensured everything was prepared for her to receive Medicare in a few short months.
We checked in with Melody recently to see how things are going for her and her family one year into the pandemic.
It’s been hard.
She’s lost eight family members to COVID-19. In addition to not being able to physically mourn with her loved ones, she’s missed the big family get togethers held every year—egg hunts at Easter and a family reunion in September.
Melody says one thing she’s learned through her experience is “it’s okay to ask for help and it’s okay to not be okay.”
She compares the past year to sailing through a storm and credits the staff at the Advocacy Center for guiding her to calmer waters.
“Just knowing I had them there, I was able to stay in my boat,” she says. “Things are smoother now.”
Despite the past year, she says she is still looking for the silver lining in everything.
She hopes to return to her job whipping up the daily special at Showmars in the City of Charlotte Government Center, where she had worked for 22 years. And she dreams of one day owning her own food truck.
In the meantime, she’s glad to have her health, her family cared for and a place to call if she needs help.
She smiles every time she drives by the Advocacy Center and Legal Aid office on Elizabeth Avenue.
“Look at how much work the people in that teeny little building do!” Melody says. “The work they do, it’s needed. Because sometimes people just need a helping hand. It’s been a blessing.”
Melody, we’re glad we could help. Call us if you need anything.
Before the pandemic, about 12 percent of Mecklenburg residents, including children, were considered food insecure according to Feeding America. The ongoing economic fallout has swollen that number to almost 16 percent who are on the brink of hunger.
In the last year, our staff assisted 371 people and their families with issues accessing food stamps (SNAP benefits), making sure they could successfully get the assistance they needed to remain stable and understood their eligibility for SNAP and other public benefits.
North Carolina was among the earliest adopters of Pandemic EBT (PEBT), which provides food support for families with children eligible for free or reduced-price meals while schools were closed. Though N.C. took many positive steps in creating this program, there have been hurdles and confusion in the implementation. We have been working closely with clients, partner organizations, and the state to monitor issues on the ground and communicate them to N.C. Department of Health and Human Services to ensure the program works efficiently and families receive these critical benefits quickly.
Healthcare Access
Our health insurance navigators and call-back volunteers assisted over 1000 community members apply and select an affordable health insurance plan for their budget during Open Enrollment Nov. 1 – Dec. 15. Health insurance is critical to safety, stability, and health–particularly during the COVID-19 crisis.
Before the pandemic, one in six Americans had a civil legal problem that negatively impacted their health. We knew that unmet legal needs related to COVID-19 would dramatically worsen health outcomes.
Thirteen percent of Mecklenburg residents don’t have health coverage. More than 500,000 low-income people in N.C. have no options to get health care because they earn too much to qualify for Medicaid and too little to receive financial assistance for health insurance.
COVID-19 forced frontline workers to weigh the risks of working to keep their families stable with the chance of falling critically ill and needing to seek medical care they couldn’t afford. Others lost health insurance benefits with their jobs at a time when access to health care mattered most.
Many who lost their jobs due to COVID-19 did not realize they had the option to apply for health care coverage through a Healthcare Insurance Marketplace Special Enrollment Period (SEP) 60 days after losing coverage. Consequently, many went without it due to their inability to afford private insurance.
Johanna Parra, coordinator of the Advocacy Center’s Health Insurance Navigator Project, was among the first in the nation to discover another option for those who were desperate to get coverage and have peace of mind knowing they could get care if they needed it.
Because all 50 states were under the COVID-19 pandemic national emergency declaration, eligible individuals could apply for coverage through the Affordable Care Act’s Health Insurance Marketplace, also referred to as “Obamacare,” for a Special Enrollment Period through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA SEP).
Fighting for Equal Access
As soon as Congress passed the CARES Act to provide economic support and COVID-19 relief, there was confusion around the benefits included in the package.
Understanding the CARES Act and COVID Relief: Stimulus Payments and Unemployment Benefits
Families desperate for financial support needed help making sure they received stimulus checks (Economic Impact Payments) issued by the federal government.
Who was eligible? How would payments be distributed? What if payments didn’t arrive?
We answered these questions and more for our clients and the community to ensure everyone eligible for a payment could receive it.
Staff are now helping people address missing stimulus checks and other issues related to the CARES Act as people try to prepare their 2020 tax returns at a time when collection activities and massive job losses strain taxpayers. We are working to resolve these issues and push the IRS to offer specific remedies for various issues related to stimulus checks.
We are also working closely with clients and partner organizations to ensure the latest COVID-19 stimulus opportunities from the American Rescue Plan are understood and correctly received.
By May of last year, more than one million North Carolinians had applied for unemployment insurance benefits. The volume of applications paired with implementing new assistance programs under the federal CARES Act has caused significant delays, making the process more challenging for applicants.
Working together, Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy and Legal Aid of North Carolina-Charlotte answered the calls of thousands of frustrated workers to guide them through the application process and appeals. Through direct action and systemic advocacy, these organizations ensured that those who had fallen through the cracks had access to the full payments they deserved.
Prior to the pandemic and historically, North Carolina’s unemployment system made it difficult for eligible residents to receive unemployment benefits, leaving workers with little to no support.
Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy is focused on removing some of these barriers by focusing on unemployment insurance system reform, essential worker benefits, living wages, and promoting workers’ rights in a right to work state—all of which disproportionately impact People of Color (POC).
We are also monitoring how scams and multi-level marketing schemes (MLMs) target unemployed and low-income individuals, especially during the COVID-19 crisis.
NC Extra Credit Grant
The NC Extra Credit Grant program provides financial support for families struggling to meet the demands of educating and caring for their children during the COVID-19 pandemic. For a parent living on minimum wage, $335 is more than he or she will earn in a week. We worked to spread the word to make sure that families who missed the first deadline didn’t miss this final application period and the chance at financial assistance.
Quick action and a strong partnership generated 24,946 applications submitted; $8 million distributed, in just 18 days.
On September 4, Gov. Roy Cooper announced the Extra Credit Grant: an additional $335 dollars in COVID-19 relief for N.C parents. While middle and high-income families automatically received the payment, low-income families had to apply through the North Carolina Department of Revenue (NCDOR).
These families had just 29 days to learn about the program and apply. Only 10,000 families did so during the initial application period.
Through a pro bono partnership, Legal Aid of North Carolina, Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy, and Robinson Bradshaw filed a complaint resulting in a court order on Nov.5, 2020 that reopened and extended the application period.
Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy created a website and extensive communication campaign entitled 335 for NC, which encouraged these parents to apply for the grant through December 7, 2020. More than 32,000 individuals visited the website.
In just 18 days, Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy, Legal Aid of North Carolina, and Robinson Bradshaw reached hundreds of thousands of families and delivered 24,946 applications to NCDOR resulting in more than $8 million in aid made available to families who needed it most.
Keeping Families Safe and Protected from Exploitation
Housing Rights
State and federal moratoriums on evictions and foreclosures have been implemented and continued over the past year to keep people who couldn’t pay their bills safely housed during the pandemic, but they haven’t been enough to protect everyone.
As we watched infection rates rise, courts in North Carolina started working through backlogged foreclosures. Evictions began ramping up, exacerbating the shortage of affordable housing that existed well before the threat of coronavirus. Homeowners who had to take advantage of forbearance because they could not pay their mortgages will eventually have to repay extraordinary balances on their home loans, many of which cannot be modified.
The Advocacy Center continues to work with families desperate to keep their homes and stay current on their bills to avoid homelessness and financial ruin. We are making sure people understand their rights and obligations with lenders to help them make informed decisions about their situations. We are also educating the community to make sure our neighbors do not fall victim to scams related to COVID-19.
‘The weight that was lifted off’
Entrepreneur, grandmother, personal shopper, caregiver, and church activist. These are a few of the hats that Mrs. C wears on any given week. She keeps copious amounts of to-do lists to keep herself, her family, and her business in order, a skill she says she learned from the staff at Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy.
“I kept their organizational skills, detail-oriented skills and people skills. It was a great learning experience.”
Mrs. C sought Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy’s assistance when a predatory mortgage company threatened to foreclose on her and her husband’s home.
“Raising grandkids, things got tight, but I also felt like I got hoodwinked into this mortgage. I had an anxiety attack.”
Mrs. C quickly connected with our Consumer Protection Unit which soon found out her mortgage company was fraudulent and under federal investigation. The Advocacy Center resolved Mrs. C’s issue and her family was able to keep her home.
“I cannot tell you the weight that was lifted off me when Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy jumped in like that and helped me right off the bat. It was a godsend. They worked with me on everything.”
Without the burden of potential foreclosure, Mrs. C can focus on growing her business and fostering her family:
“It’s peaceful now. I’m able to move forward. If only you could see the smile on my face! It’s a peaceful, peaceful smile.”
Immigrant families were already targets for exploitation before the pandemic. Fear of deportation, language barriers, and lack of traditional financial resources make it harder for immigrants to get assistance and leave them vulnerable.
Owners of substandard housing often rent to immigrants because the owners believe those tenants will be afraid to exercise their rights to habitable housing and to continued tenancy.
Traditional financing options are also often unavailable to immigrant families, which makes them easy targets for predatory financing options such as contracts for deed, options to purchase, installment sales contracts or lease with option contracts. These are enforced through eviction procedures and are complicated to defend without legal assistance.
Immigrants are also targeted for predatory sales of mobile homes, which can be substandard. These situations often involve predatory financing methods on land that is rented and are subject to eviction from the land, also requiring complicated defense.
The pandemic hit immigrants especially hard. Primary earners lost jobs as businesses shut down and those without legal status didn’t qualify for COVID-19 assistance.
“Because of the virus we lost our jobs and that put us behind on rent. And now it’s worse because my husband had an accident and our court date is tomorrow so we don’t know what we’re going to do … We don’t get help from anyone, those of us who are undocumented. A lot of us are going through this.”
– Advocacy Center client Ismar spoke to WFAE as her family faced eviction in July. Attorney Juan Hernandez was able to negotiate an agreement with the family’s landlord to prevent them from losing their home. Listen to the full story.
Thinking they could take advantage of families in desperate situations, landlords continued to threaten and illegally remove families from their homes.
At a time when our court system was operating on a limited capacity and resources for assistance were scarce, we helped our clients avoid homelessness, remain stable and exercise their rights.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy continues to find innovative ways to serve our community. In October, our Immigrant Justice Program partnered with Latin American Coalition to host a “curbside” clinic on the CDC Eviction Moratorium. Over thirty clients attended throughout the day to learn how to claim its protections.
We upheld their rights through our work, which included remedies such as cancellation of the contract, recovery of down payment or money paid above and beyond the fair market rental value, damages for unfair and deceptive trade practices, among others. We also conducted community education programs regarding the rights of immigrant renters related to their housing.
Domestic Violence Protection
While officials urged people to stay home to prevent spreading the virus, home wasn’t the safest option for many in our community.
Immigrant women also face additional barriers to escaping domestic violence or abuse, leaving them feeling trapped in abusive situations.
Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy helps low-income immigrants living in Mecklenburg County who are victims of domestic violence. A recent Allstate Foundation national survey found that 64 percent of Hispanic women say they know a victim of some type of abuse and 30 percent have personally been victimized.
Reports of domestic violence incidents increased significantly along with the need for legal assistance to get necessary protection early in the pandemic as people. Advocacy Center staff helped survivors and their families navigate administrative changes to get the protections they needed while our courts were closed.
Our Response Continues
We are all weathering the same storm, but we are not all in the same boat.
The past year has made it clear just how critical access to safety, security and stability is for everyone in our community.
But barriers that prevent equal access to these needs persist. And our current safety net is simply not wide or strong enough to support everyone who needs it.
Much like the Great Recession of 2008, the recovery for those hit hardest by COVID-19, those we serve, will take years. Some will never recover.
The need is everywhere. That’s why we’re here, fighting to help families not only stay afloat but also thrive. And we’re not going anywhere.
Today and every day, we continue this hard, necessary work until our community is a stronger, more just and equitable place for ALL.
Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy’s call for Artist Qualifications for Purchase or Creation of New Work for our Building
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Call Summary
Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy is requesting qualifications from emerging visual artists age 21+ local to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg region to create or sell art of any medium relevant to our mission for our new building at 5535 Albemarle Road, Charlotte NC. Qualifications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until May 2nd, 2021 at 5pm. Artists interested in the project should apply by that date. The project must start after July 1st, 2021 and be complete by June 30th, 2022 (fiscal year 2022). The Advocacy Center has $15,000-$25,000 available depending on grant funding for multiple projects from different artists or collectives. Artists who are Black, Indigenous, Latino, people of color, immigrants, women, disabled people, LGBTQ+, veterans, and artists who come from low-income backgrounds are especially encouraged to apply.
Contact
Meghan Rankins, Development and Pro Bono Associate
Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy is searching for artists to commission new work or purchase artworks of any medium including but not limited to murals, photography, painting, etc. that align with our mission below for our new building. Artists can submit qualifications individually or partner with other local creatives.
The Advocacy Center’s mission and vision statements are:
Our mission is to pursue justice for those in need.
Our vision is to build a just community where all people are treated fairly and have access to legal representation to meet their basic needs of safety, security, and stability.
In addition to reflecting our mission and vision statements, the selected proposals should encompass the following themes:
Inclusivity and Welcomeness
Justice for all in our community
Hope and inspiration
Diversity of our client base and community
Including Black, Indigenous, Latino, and other people of color, immigrants, women, disabled people, LGBTQ+, veterans, and low-income individuals and families
Intersectionality of Identity
Ending Poverty
Racial Equity
These artworksshould represent the respect and esteem that The Advocacy Center’s staff and clients deserve—bridging gaps to address complex community issues such as access to healthcare, housing, and opportunity.
About Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy
Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy helps people in the Charlotte, North Carolina, region who cannot afford legal services, but desperately need them. Without legal representation in civil matters, thousands of families can lose access to financial security, healthcare, housing and opportunity.
The impact goes far beyond our neighbors in need. It affects our entire community.
Since 1967, our staff and pro bono attorneys have provided comprehensive civil legal services for our region’s low-income residents. We accomplish our mission through a variety of advocacy strategies, including individual advice and representation, community education and outreach, representation of groups, self-help remedies, collaboration with other agencies, community economic development, legislative and administrative advocacy, and impact litigation.
The need is everywhere.
That’s why Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy is here.
We were formed in 1967 as a part of the War on Poverty and are the oldest legal services program in North Carolina.
We serve 3,500 families each year facing a crisis of safety, shelter, health or income. More than 300,000 people in our region are eligible for our services and in need of legal assistance but are unable to afford private lawyers.
We are the largest provider of legal assistance in Mecklenburg County improving access to healthcare for low-income and vulnerable populations.
We are the largest non-profit provider of representation in the Charlotte immigration court in all of North and South Carolina.
We advocate on behalf of clients, resulting in policy changes at the local and national level.
When people with severe illnesses need healthcare coverage — When homeowners are on the brink of foreclosure — When disabled veterans cannot obtain their benefits — When domestic violence victims seek protective orders — When immigrants are in danger of exploitation —
There is a place to turn. A place that has served for more than 50 years as a beacon of hope and a tireless champion for our diverse and growing population. A place where legal staff and volunteer attorneys and advocates fight to protect the fundamental rights of all.
Artwork could be displayed around or inside of Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy’s new building at 5535 Albemarle Road, Charlotte NC. The building is in East Charlotte near Central Avenue. The city of Charlotte’s greenway will eventually extend near the site. The Advocacy Center chose this location because of its proximity to our clients, particularly the Latino and immigrant community in Charlotte. See linked plans for dimensions and more details.
The building’s exterior has excellent opportunities for art. The exterior has stretches of brick wall between large windows for murals. The largest wall faces an open green space that will be landscaped and used for casual collaborative working, meeting, and presentation space. The campus also has two plazas ideal for outdoor art display. Murals and other exterior art will be seen primarily by The Advocacy Center’s staff, clients, board of directors, other legal professionals, and nonprofit community partners who visit or work in the campus. The campus exterior is viewable from Albemarle Road in the Fall and Winter, but trees block the view of the buildings in the Spring and Summer.
Due to the design of the building and ample usage of glass walls, the interior has minimal wall space but still has good opportunities for display, particularly in our client-facing spaces downstairs including reception, the client waiting room, and interview rooms. Wall space in the interview rooms will be shared with teleconferencing technology. Upstairs will be accessible by staff only and has some wall space around “spine walls” as shown in the attached design. Windows wrap the exterior of the building and office fronts are glass. Materials used should be able to withstand substantial light exposure.
View the exterior and floor plans of our building here. Potential display dimensions can be found here. We welcome ideas for creative usage of space that would allow for other display options outside of those marked.
Budget
Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy has currently allocated $15,000 toward the commission or purchase of artwork. The Advocacy Center may select multiple artworks or invest in a singular proposal depending on quality, creativity, and cost. Budget would include purchase of existing artwork and/or total cost of creating new work including artists’ fees, materials, and installation.
Artist Eligibility
Artists selected for this project should:
Be over the age of 21
Emerging artists preferred, but not required
Artists who are local to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg region preferred, but not required
Artists who are Black, Indigenous, Latino, people of color, immigrants, women, disabled people, LGBTQ+, veterans, and artists who come from low-income backgrounds are especially encouraged to apply.
Can be single applicants or part of an artist team or collective
Art Criteria
Successful artwork should:
Follow thematic guidelines listed above
Be appropriate for a non-profit, professional office
Use durable and affordable materials that can withstand weathering and light exposure (art chosen will be a permanent installation)
3-4 examples of your artwork aligned with our mission and vision statements that are currently available for purchase. Please include title, dimensions, creation year, media, material and retail price.
Alternatively, artists can submit existing examples of work that would serve as inspiration for a new proposal. Proposal should include details about concept, material, proposed dimension, and full budget to execute proposed work.
A few paragraphs commenting on your ideas for the space, medium of art you would use, estimate price of the commission, and plans to involve the community of Charlotte in your piece. If you are proposing a new work, please outline any experience you have had with public art commissions
Links to your website and/or social media handles
Selection process
Submissions will be evaluated by Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy’s Art Committee. Artists interested in the project should apply by May 2nd, 2021. Submissions will be evaluated by Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy’s Art Committee and selected artists will be notified by the end of May. Selected artists will be invited to the new building to see the space and opportunities for artwork.
Selection Criteria
Submissions will be selected based on the following criteria:
Representation of the desired goals and themes of the artworks
Interpretation of mission and clarity of concept
Creativity and originality in interpreting mission.
Consideration of the scope and criteria of the project
Quality of the artwork and proposal
Approximated cost of commission/artwork
Priority given to emerging artists
Priority given to artists local to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg region
Project Timeline
Projects should begin after July 1st, 2021 and be complete by June 30th, 2022, but ideally be completed during Fall of 2021 when The Advocacy Center staff will move into the new building.
Sources for Additional Information/Questions
If you have additional questions, email Meghan Rankins at meghanr@charlottelegaladvocacy.org
Our Call to the Biden Administration on Inauguration Day
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In his speech “The Other America,” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. condemns consequences of a divided and inequitable society built from a long, tiring, and terrifying history of white supremacy and calls us to make “America one nation, Indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” We have been given a precious and urgent moment to do so, which begins today, Inauguration Day. Time cannot resolve the divides in our nation, action must be taken now. The staff at Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy urges the Biden Administration and our congressional leaders to pass and enforce legislation that brings us closer to “justice for all.”
President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have organized one of the most diverse executive cabinets that this country has had the privilege to know. We applaud their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and hope that this commitment influences and follows throughout the administration’s programs.
Promises made in the campaign, such as upholding Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), preserving family unity at the border, upholding the Affordable Care Act, reinvigorating consumer financial protections, providing support for families, and enhancing our pandemic relief efforts must become a reality. We acknowledge President Biden’s American Rescue Plan as a noble step toward combatting the current health and economic crises our country faces. However, we are far from the end of the COVID-19 pandemic and even further from a united, equitable, and just country.
Focusing on these issues at the local, state and federal level will enable us to capture King’s and our own vision of “one America.” Through our work, we will continue to fight for the very things King advocated for in his speech: economic justice, the right to safe and affordable housing, quality education, access to healthcare, and racial equity. May today be the start of a stark shift in American politics and a continuance of our country’s reckoning with its past and steps toward true, genuine equality.
