Our clients inspire and motivate us every day.

Client Stories

We deeply appreciate the clients who share their time and stories with us.  We work every day to make sure that seniors are housed, safe from financial and physical harm, and free from debt.  We also provide Advance Health Care Directives and Durable Power of Attorneys for clients, which help them to plan for a secure and conflict-free future.

*Names have been changed to protect client privacy.

Lois: Getting Access to Housing

Lois, an extremely low income senior with disabilities, needed help to get onto a waiting list for subsidized housing after she had been rejected.  We asserted her rights to the protections of VAWA (Violence Against Women Act) and rights as a prospective tenant with disabilities.  As a result of our advocacy, Lois was allowed access to the waiting list for subsidized housing.

Joe: A Warm Heart Taken Advantage Of

Joe, a 78-year-old widower, called us because he was having trouble with his tenant.  It turned out that the tenant was a woman who was previously homeless and living in the parking lot of the church he attended, and the pastor asked him to take her in.  She brought in two dogs, including a Pitbull that injured the client more than once.  The woman would yell at our client and threaten him.  She pressured him for money, and he completely supported her.  After three years, he was finally ready to take steps to get her out of his home.  We represented him at the elder abuse restraining order hearing, and he is finally able to live in his home without fear.

Norma: Security Deposit Theft

We were asked by a low-income 74-year-old woman, Norma, for assistance with her security deposit return. The landlord retained the funds based the expense of hiring a crew to clear out the garage of the house she had just vacated, and also sent her a bill for an the additional $830. In fact, she should not have been held responsible for this expense. After the landlord’s agent received our letter explaining the basis for the legal action Norma would be taking against him, she received a check for more than the amount owed to her and a revocation of the bill for the additional $830.

Amir: Overcoming Consequences of Stolen Identity

Amir was a victim of identity theft.  His son had used his personal information to take out a loan for $30,000 in his name.  The bank refused to believe his explanation for the loan, and filed a collections lawsuit against him.  Amir sought out our services, and we agreed to defend him.  Because of our advocacy, the bank agreed to dismiss the case.

Thomas: From Fighting for Our Country to Fighting Eviction

Thomas is a veteran with substantial physical disabilities, who is largely homebound.  He was living in low-income housing that was only barely livable.  Thomas contacted us when he was served with an eviction notice.  CCSLS helped him to make a reasonable accommodation request based on his disability so he could have more time to find a new place.   We also helped him to retain his Section 8 voucher.  In the end, Thomas found a new place to live and the eviction was dismissed.

Jane: Creating Critical Documents at Her Bedside

Jane is a 97-year-old woman living in an assisted living facility.  She is unable to get out of bed, but still wanted to create a Durable Power of Attorney and an Advance Health Care Directive.  An attorney from CCSLS went to her bedside to create the documents on two different days, as it was too taxing to complete both in the same day.  Our attorney sent all of the copies of the documents to the appropriate people, since Jane was unable to do so herself.  She now has these important documents in place and sent to the people who need them.