Rights & Benefits Information
Pro Bono Legal Services From Step Up to Justice
“Step Up to Justice (SU2J) is a free civil legal center for low-income individuals and families in Pima County, powered by the talents of volunteer attorneys,” states Kate Wolf, Director of Operations at SU2J. The legal service provides education and assistance with housing, family law, domestic violence, consumer fraud, bankruptcy, employment, wills/probate, and other legal areas. SU2J and PCOA have partnered to serve low-income older adults in Pima County since the non- profit’s inception in the fall of 2016. Step Up to Justice is privately funded which enables them to help any person who qualifies without being held to restrictions government contracts sometimes impose. It’s no secret that even before the pandemic, but especially since, older adults have been hit hard by rising rent and financial hardship. While this is a national problem, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition’s latest "Out of Reach" report, Arizona is the 14th costliest state in the country for renters. The report states that to secure a modest one-bedroom apartment a renter would need a full-time wage of $27.25 per hour (or $4,723.33 per month). Many of the older adults PCOA serves in Pima
County are limited to Social Security Benefits, often less than the 2024 Federal Poverty Limit of $1,255 per month for a single person. Navigating the rental world is even harder when one doesn’t know their rights. To assist renters and those struggling financially, in the fall SU2J is launching community education projects to help inform the public about their rights in three key areas. Wolf outlines the projects as follows: The RENT Project (Renter Education for Neighborhoods and Tenants) provides tenants with a general understanding of their rights and obligations under Arizona landlord tenant laws. The presentation covers topics including landlords’ obligations regarding making repairs, what tenants can do to minimize the possibility of eviction, and what a tenant should do if an eviction is filed against them. SU2J plans to relaunch this project this fall with online materials and live presentations. Written materials and videos are already available on the SU2J website in both English and Spanish. The MAPP Project (Mobile Home Asset and Property Protection) is like RENT. The curriculum explains mobile
homeowners’ legal rights and responsibilities when they own their mobile home but rent the
land beneath the home. The intent of the project is to help mobile homeowners avoid disputes with their landlords and preserve their primary asset. Additionally, written materials and videos are also available on the SU2J website (English and Spanish), with plans to launch live presentations in the fall. The BEACON Project (Bankruptcy Education and Consumer Outreach Network) is SU2J’s newest outreach project and is geared towards people who are considering filing for bankruptcy to manage their debts. The presentation will cover topics including the legal rights and responsibilities of debtors interested in filing for bankruptcy, the differences between Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy, pre-filing considerations, and what bankruptcy can and cannot do for debtors. SU2J plans to launch this project in the fall with online resources and live presentations.
SU2J doesn’t require registration for these workshops and invites any who are interested to attend on the following dates:
RENT Workshop
Location
Dates
Time
English
320 N. Commerce Park Loop
10/22/24, 12/10/24
2:00 p.m.
MAPP Workshop
Location
Dates
Time
English
320 N. Commerce Park Loop
9/10/24, 11/12/24
2:00 p.m.
To apply for help or learn more about Step Up to Justice visit their website at https://www.stepuptojustice.org/. If you don’t have access to the internet, please call the PCOA Helpline at (520) 790-7262.
September/October 2024, Never Too Late | Page 15
Pima Council on Aging
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