Stories of Justice: CCLA Helps Ms. Jeanette Remain in Her Home

For more than 25 years, Ms. Jeanette has called her apartment home. As she faced serious health challenges, remaining in the home and community she knew became more important than ever.

But her home was deteriorating. A broken refrigerator, malfunctioning air vents, cracked flooring, and badly worn carpeting went unrepaired despite more than six months of requests to her landlord. As conditions worsened, Ms. Jeanette was left managing her health in an increasingly unsafe and difficult environment.

When she exercised her legal right to withhold rent while seeking repairs, the landlord responded by filing an eviction case. Suddenly, Ms. Jeanette faced losing not only her longtime home, but also her Section 8 voucher.

That’s when a CCLA Senior Law Unit attorney stepped in. She worked with the landlord and housing authority to address the unsafe conditions. An inspection confirmed Ms. Jeanette’s concerns and found that the apartment failed to meet required housing standards. The landlord was ordered to make the necessary repairs—and the repairs were finally completed.

CCLA continued advocating for Ms. Jeanette ultimately negotiating the dismissal of the eviction case and persuading the landlord to waive more than $500 in attorney’s fees.

The result? Ms. Jeanette kept the home she had known for more than two decades, her housing stability and Section 8 voucher were protected, and she could remain safely in the community she calls home.