MLSA’s Eviction Work in the News

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, thousands of Montanans have found themselves struggling to pay their rent and facing the possibility of eviction. MLSA has worked hard to help people access the services they need to avoid eviction – including legal information on how to access rental assistance and eviction moratoriums, and legal assistance in the …

New MLSA Eviction Program Seeing Success

In response to the devastating rise in evictions during the pandemic, MLSA and the Montana Department of Commerce came together this past fall to develop a new program: the Montana Eviction Intervention Project (MEIP). First launched in October, MEIP provides tenants facing court-ordered eviction with free legal representation, with the goal of helping tenants secure …

Renters Face Financial Constraints Due to COVID-19

As the COVID-19 outbreak continues to spread across Montana, many Montanans are now facing a new worry: being able to afford rent come April 1. With many workers laid off or forced to take unpaid leave following business and school closures, incomes for many families have plummeted, leaving them unsure of how they will pay …

Attorney Amy Hall Testifies Before the Montana Legislature

“We abolished incarceration of people who failed to pay their debts centuries ago. Do we want to return to the days of debtor’s prison?” MLSA Housing Attorney Amy Halls visited the Montana Legislature on Tuesday, March 7, 2017 to testify against Senate Bills 239 and 255. If passed, the two bills would allow tenants who …

LawHelper: Find the legal info you need

Now featuring the LawHelper! The LawHelper is the new interactive tool on www.MontanaLawHelp.org designed to help users determine what options they have for representing themselves in court, finding a private attorney, or solving rental problems. Users start by telling the LawHelper exactly what they are looking for, such as “How to represent myself in court” …

Legal Information at Project Homeless Connect / Kalispell

Are you homeless or at risk of becoming homeless? Do you need general legal information and resources? Montana Legal Services Association (MLSA) will be attending the 2015 Kalispell Project Homeless Connect event on Wednesday, June 17. Come find answers to your general legal questions and/or apply for MLSA services. The event, which runs from 11am-7pm, …

April is Fair Housing Month!

The Fair Housing Act makes it illegal to discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, familial status or disability in the sale or rental of housing. If you are a Montanan who has experienced housing discrimination, there is help. You can: Contact Montana Fair Housing at: (406) 782-2573 / 1-800-929-2611   Montana …

April is Fair Housing Month!

The Fair Housing Act makes it illegal to discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, familial status or disability in the sale or rental of housing. If you are a Montanan who has experienced housing discrimination, there is help. You can: Contact Montana Fair Housing at: (406) 782-2573 / 1-800-929-2611   Montana …

Fair Housing is Your Right: Use It!

April is Fair Housing Month. Incited in part by the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., one week prior, Congress passed Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act in 1968, known as the Fair Housing Act. The Fair Housing Act makes it illegal to discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, …

Dispatch From Cambodia: New Beginnings for Street Youth

This is a blog post from Caroline Riss, MLSA Staff Attorney, who is in Cambodia on exchange to assist with a legal organization.According to the Consortium for Street Children, in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, “there are an estimated 616,023 working children aged between 5 and 17 years and 2,000 street children. A further 15,000 …