Justice Center of the Southeast is Meeting Tenants Where They Are

Kasha Ambroise, a CELHP Paralegal at the Justice Center of Southeast Massachusetts, became a lifeline for Nuella as she sat in a car in the parking lot of an emergency room.

Her 8-year-old grandchild was sick. Her daughter was anxiously trying to access an application for rental assistance (RAFT) on her phone. Nuella spoke Cape Verdean Creole; her daughter interpreted.

“It was so traumatic for her. Nuella was crying and throughout the day she called me and I would call her. Page by page, step by step, I guided her through the RAFT application. It took all day to gather the necessary documents. But by the end of the day the application was submitted.” It is now waiting for approval. If approved, Nuella will receive money to cover her rent so she can stay in her home.

As Brian O’Connor, the Director of Justice Center of Southeast Massachusetts, a subsidiary of South Coastal Counties Legal Services, shared, 

“We have to go find our clients where our clients are, even if it’s a parking lot at an emergency room.”

Name has been changed to protect the client’s privacy