Category: News

California courts and lawmakers have been busy on housing issues this year. Here are three recent developments that may affect seniors and other renters in our community. Courts Must Play by the Rules When Reviewing Housing Agency Decisions A California appeals court recently clarified that when a court reviews a housing agency’s decision, it can only evaluate the reasons the agency actually gave – it cannot invent new justifications to save a flawed decision. If the agency’s stated basis for

Right here in Contra Costa County, seniors are losing their life savings, not to burglars or stock market crashes but to scam phone calls and random pop up windows. I didn’t figure this out from reading a textbook, but instead, from witnessing it happen to my own grandparents. That experience pushed me to act, so I sat in my family’s living room reading reports, listening to the neighbors, and learning just how widespread this problem really was. What I found was truly

June is Elder Abuse Awareness Month. In California, elder abuse includes physical abuse, mental abuse, neglect, financial abuse, isolation, abduction, or sexual abuse of an adult age 65 or older. Elder abuse occurs in all communities, including in Contra Costa County. During the 2024-2025 Fiscal Year, Contra Costa County’s Adult Protective Services received 5951 reports of elder abuse. Contra Costa Senior Legal Services is here help elders who are experiencing abuse. We can help elders apply for an elder abuse

It’s a Fundraiser 15% of check proceeds will support CCSLS! STEPS: 1) Come to Lazy Dog Restaurant at 1961 Diamond Blvd, Concord, 94520; 3) Order, enjoy your meal; 4) Before paying, tell your server the Code 02Concord tell them you are there to support Contra Costa Senior Legal Services. The funds we raise will help us provide legal services to elders across the county! 

If you’re planning to start a court case or think you may need to look up court cases, you should be aware of what can occur if you use Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) to do so. What is AI? AI, or artificial intelligence, has been ramping up in usage since the start of this decade and is a tool to automate human tasks by typing or speaking requests to a language trained-bot.[1] AI platforms like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini have gained

  April is volunteer appreciation month. Contra Costa Senior Legal Services relies on volunteers to help us serve our clients. We appreciate all that our volunteers do for us. Volunteers help us amplify our impact in the community and allow us to reach more seniors. There are many ways to volunteer with Contra Costa Senior Legal Services. We have volunteer opportunities for people who are attorneys and people who are not attorneys. We also have volunteer opportunities for notaries. Click

With the onset of March, many people begin to look ahead to preparing for Tax Day on April 15th. Here’s some useful information about new tax information relevant to seniors for Tax Year 2025. On July 4, 2025, a major new tax law was signed into effect (the Act). This blog will focus on the impact the Act has on senior taxpayers. Bigger Deductions for Everyday Filers Standard Deductions Stay High The standard deduction continues to be generous and is

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF CONTRA COSTA ANNOUNCES THE OPENING OF THE LISTED PROJECT-BASED VOUCHER (PBV) WAITING LISTS Monday, March 2, 2026 at 10 AM through Thursday, March 19, at 4:00 PM From 03/02/2026 – 03/19/2026 pre-applications will be accepted for the properties listed below ONLY: THIS IS NOT FOR THE HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER WAITING LIST. Pre-applications must be submitted on-line at: www.contracostahousing.org. Note: ALL PRE-APPLICATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED ONLINE. If you would like a paper application, please contact

  With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, many of us have romance on our minds.  This time of year can make us yearn for that special someone. While it’s never too late in life to find romance, it is important to approach romance with an understanding of how to date safely. While many couples do meet online, looking for romance on the internet can pose risks, namely in the form of romance scams. Scammers know that many of us

We are happy to introduce to you a new member of the CCSLS team: Suman Kaur. She is our new Legal Clinic Coordinator. In her role she works closely with our Pro Bono Attorneys and all of our free monthly legal clinics around the county to make sure operations are running smoothly. Before joining CCSLS, Suman worked at Deloitte, where she gained experience in professional communications, teamwork, and client focused service. Her time there helped her develop strong organizational skills