2026 Franklin County Access to Justice Campaign

“I'm a single mom, I run my own business, and about a year ago I could not have told you what Community Legal Aid was or what it does. Today I could not be more appreciative of them.

In the summer of 2023, a man I had been dating for a short time broke into my home–he literally broke the door down. The police came and he was charged. Sadly, before he was convicted and held responsible for the damage he caused, he passed away.

Since my landlord could no longer hold this man responsible for the costs of the damage to my apartment’s door, they instead came after me for the damages. I live paycheck to paycheck and there was no way I could afford to pay for it.

For over a year, the landlord harassed me for this money. When I didn’t pay, the landlord then went so far as to add this bill to my rent ledger. I have never missed a rent payment, but last year my landlord took me to court to try to evict me, saying that the money to fix the door was back rent.

I knew that I shouldn’t be held accountable for the damage that someone else had done, but I didn’t know how to advocate for myself or how to navigate the process. What I did know is that if they managed to succeed with an eviction my son and I would probably be homeless.

On the day of my hearing, I went to Greenfield Housing Court, and found CLA Attorney Uri Strauss, who was the lawyer for the day.

Attorney Strauss sat with me and listened to everything. Because the damage to the door was a result of domestic violence, he explained that legally it was not my responsibility to pay for it. With Attorney Strauss advocating for me, the landlord agreed to take the money off my ledger, which meant that I was fully up to date on rent, and the eviction was dropped.

Housing court is very intimidating to someone who is not familiar with it. All along I knew that what was happening was unfair, but I didn’t know how to fight it before I was helped by CLA.”

Central West Justice Center (CWJC) a wholly-owned subsidiary of Community Legal Aid (CLA), provides free civil legal aid to our low-income and immigrant neighbors in Central and Western Massachusetts. In one case, CWJC advocates helped "Cintia", a young woman from rural Guatemala, successfully obtain asylum. 

Cintia,  endured significant abuse by her ex-partner, Ricardo. With limited police resources her community relied on local councils of elders for dispute resolution. Cintia reported Ricardo’s abuse, but although the council told Ricardo he should stop, there was no way to enforce the order.

Desperate for protection, Cintia travelled to the nearest town seek a protection order. Court staff told Cintia that it would be better for her and her sons if she stayed with Ricardo, leaving her unprotected. 

After moving to the United States with Ricardo and their two young sons, the abuse continued. In Massachusetts, Cintia reported the violence to the police, and was able to obtain a restraining order, finally achieving physical safety. 

Represented by Central West Justice Center Coordinating Attorney Alexandra Bonazoli, Cintia applied for asylum. 

Attorney Bonazoli explained, “Asylum offers protection in the United States to those who cannot return to their own countries due to persecution in the past or fear of persecution in the future. In order to meet the requirements of asylum, the persecution the applicant fears must be because of certain protected characteristics, or a central part of the applicant’s identity that cannot be changed.”

In Cintia’s case, she and her lawyers argued that the severe domestic violence she suffered was due to her being a woman, and particularly being a woman in a place that viewed domestic violence as an acceptable way for a man to treat his female partner. The immigration judge agreed, and granted her protection in the form of asylum.

Reflecting on her journey, Cintia noted that while Guatemala ignored her pleas, in Massachusetts she was finally heard and protected. Thanks to CWJC's help, Cintia can now pursue lawful permanent residence for herself and her sons, building a safe and stable future in the U.S.

Read more stories like this one in Community Legal Aid's Fiscal Year 2024 Annual Report.
*Central West Justice Center, a subsidiary of Community Legal Aid, receives no funding from the Legal Services Corporation.

Thanks to American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding, since 2023 CLA has teamed up with the City of Northampton’s Division of Community Care (DCC) to provide legal advocacy for Northampton residents.

DCC is a pioneering public health-led initiative to provide trauma-informed support and resources to individuals experiencing homelessness, emotional distress, difficulty meeting basic needs, struggles with substance use, and more within the City of Northampton. Under this collaboration, DCC refers community members to CLA’s team of legal advocates who can provide consultation and advice, or extended legal representation.

In the first 14 months CLA has received over 50 direct referrals from DCC, mostly for residents facing housing insecurity. Most referrals are made electronically, but one day in December 2023, while providing “lawyer for the day” assistance at the Hampshire County Housing Court, CLA Northampton Managing Attorney Jennifer Dieringer met one of the DCC’s Community Care Responders. The DCC Responder had driven one of her clients, “Mr. B.,” to court, and sought out CLA’s assistance as soon as they arrived. Mr. B., a low-income tenant who uses a wheelchair, suffers from a traumatic brain injury, and is unable to read or write, was being evicted. Mr. B.’s landlord was alleging he owed over $10,000, yet Mr. B. insisted he had a housing voucher that paid a portion of his rent.

CLA Housing Attorney Raquel Manzanares immediately took over the case. She determined that, unbeknownst to him, Mr. B. had lost his Section 8 housing voucher several years earlier when he failed to submit certain required documents to the voucher administrator. Through legal advocacy and a request to accommodate Mr. B.’s disabilities, Attorney Manzanares was able to restore the housing voucher, thereby making Mr. B’s rent affordable again. A CLA case manager was also able to secure funding from Way Finders to pay the remainder of the owed rent.

Over a year since that meeting in court, Mr. B.’s housing situation is once again stable, his rent is once again affordable, and he will be able to stay in his apartment. This successful ending to a very fraught and complex legal problem was made possible through the relationship that Community Legal Aid and DCC established as a result of the ARPA grant from the City of Northampton.

Attorney Dieringer, who oversees the Project commented,

“Many of our clients have been challenged by various bureaucratic and legal hoops to secure and maintain benefits or retain affordable housing. With legal advocacy, we are helping more of Northampton’s residents achieve self-sufficiency and long-term stability.”