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Qualified Renters Need Not Apply: Race and Voucher Discrimination in the Metro Boston Rental Housing Market

The Boston Foundation, Suffolk University, Analysis Group
Part of the Understanding Boston series, this field study offers further evidence of the entrenchment of discrimination and the unequal application of rights, with its close examination of Boston’s rental housing practices.

Structural Racism in American Psychiatry and APA: Part 1

Jeffrey Geller, M.D., M.P.H.
The history of American psychiatry and the history of Black Americans is the history of slavery and segregation in America for over 200 years, right on through the end of the Civil War; the passage of the 14th and 15th Amendments; the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which included a provision for equal…

Restructure Your Organization to Actually Advance Racial Justice

Evelyn R. Carter
Organizations want to both support their Black employees and upskill their workforce around racism, bias, and inclusivity in ways that are unprecedented. What should come next? Companies can do a few virtual trainings then default back to the status quo — or they can recognize that the racial bias…

What Research Tells Us About the Psychology of Racism

Devon Frye
A new review takes a broad look at hows and whys of racism in American society.  

The Microaggressions Towards Black Women You Might Be Complicit In At Work

Bianca Barratt, The Forbes Magazine
From the article: A discussion that has gained more attention over the last few weeks of the Black Lives Matter movement is that white women, despite belonging to a widely marginalized gender group, are also often marginalizers themselves in their continual reticence and apathy towards the fight…

Material to support advocacy for CARES Act rental assistance

Various
  General Information on CARES Act programs HUD CPD CARES Act grants to Mass. HUD Exchange Grants to Mass.   All CARES Allocations   https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/comm_planning/budget/fy20    HUD Exchange cover page for…

How to Use Zoom With Interpreting

Transcend
Because of the coronavirus, many meetings are now on Zoom. If you are meeting with someone who speaks another language, you can use Zoom with Interpreting.  Download one page guides, in English and Spanish, from Transcend's website.

Remote Hearings

Various
Resources related to best practices for remote hearings. National Housing Law Project compilation -- includes Michigan State Administrative Office of Courts National Institute for Trial Advocacy OntarioAdvocates Society of Ont Florida Supreme Court Texas Courts Minnesota…

Working with clients remotely

various
Links to materials with guidance and suggestions regarding working with clients remotely. Best practices for providing legal aid and working remotely -- Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project Remote Legal Support Guide  -- ProBonoNet

Anti-Racist Resources

Greater Good Magazine
In response to the killing of unarmed Black people by police, Greater Good gathered Greater Good pieces that explore our potential to reduce prejudice in society and in ourselves. Includes the following sections: –The psychological roots of racism –How to overcome bias in…

First, Listen. Then, Learn: Anti-Racism Resources For White People

Julia Wuench, Forbes Magazine
For white people in America, it is up to each of us to first listen. Then, we must seek greater knowledge about our country’s deeply rooted racism. It is an undue burden on our colleagues and friends of color to teach us about racism and do the mental work for us. For white people who are…

The Psychology of American Racism

Steven O. Roberts and Michael Rizzo
American racism is alive and well. In this essay, we amass a large body of classic and contemporary research across multiple areas of psychology (e.g., cognitive, developmental, social), as well as the broader social sciences (e.g., sociology, communication studies, public policy), and humanities…

Walk in My Shoes: A Day in the Life of a Black Woman Attorney

Danielle Johnson
Article on the experiences of a Black female attorney in housing court.  

Virtual Q and A for Massachusetts Community Advocates on Protective Orders and Family Law Questions During Covid Pandemic

various
On May 27, 2020, the Massachusetts Access to Justice Commission sponsored a virtual question and answer session for community advocates in Massachusetts about protective orders, family law questions, and accessing Massachusetts courts for protective orders and family law help during the COVID-19…

Worker Centers in Massachusetts

Jobs with Justice
Worker Centers in Massachusetts (a non-exhaustive list) Worker centers are community-based organizations that provide, among many things, organizing support for low wage workers. They are often the only support/friend/ally that immigrant workers have, especially recent arrivals. Worker…

Closing language barriers and the digital divide in Gateway Cities

MassInc Gateways Podcast
First, Dan Noyes, co-CEO of Tech Goes Home, describes lessons from his experience working to close the digital divide. His Boston-based nonprofit provides training, devices, and internet access to low-income families, students, and the elderly, who need these tools now more than…

OLGT 2020-31A: Cross Programs: Clarifications to Unemployment and Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation Benefits

DTA
On March 18, 2020, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act was signed into law. This legislation contains provisions for traditional unemployment assistance benefits and other types of unemployment assistance benefits.

MassHealth Training Forum April 2020 Materials

MassHealth & Health Connector
This website contains materials from the April 2020 MassHealth Training Forum --Powerpoint presentations covering the major COVID-19 related changes over the last 2 months including slides from MassHealth addressing the MassHealth termination moratorium; verifying eligibility by self-attestions,…

Benefits Available To People Regardless Of Immigration Status

MLRI
The programs on the linked spreadshett are available to all Massachusetts residents regardless of citizenship or immigration status. Additional benefits are available to US citizens and non-citizens with an eligible immigration status. NOTE that none of the benefits that are available regardless…

OLGT 2020-29: Cross Programs: Temporary Waiver of Certain SNAP Application Interviews

DTA
Staff must make all efforts to process SNAP applications quickly and accurately using the best information available for purposes of verifying program eligibility. In response to the increased volume of SNAP applications stemming from the COVID-19 state of emergency, effective immediately, the…

Immigration updates in light of COVID-19

MLRI
Click the "go to website" link below to access a google document maintained by Mass Law Reform Institute with the latest information for attorneys and advocates.

SNAP Time Limit for Able-bodied Adults without Dependents (ABAWDs): Advocacy Tools

MLRI
*As of 4/1/20 the SNAP time limit is suspended due to COVID-19*  See a flier MLRI created on COVID-19 and the time limit, along with MassLegalservices.org/DTA-COVID-19 for more information.   

Immigrant Eligibility for Public Programs During COVID-19

Protecting Immigrant Families
This table provides a general overview of some of the federal public programs available to support individuals and families during the COVID-19 crisis under existing law, as well as the recently passed Families First Coronavirus Response Act and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and…

D-SNAP Benefits (Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Program)

MLRI
When the President has declared a federal disaster as a result of severe weather or other federal emergency, USDA and local state SNAP agencies, including DTA, work together to provide “D-SNAP benefits.”  D-SNAP are special SNAP benefits to non-SNAP households needing immediate food…

OLGT 2020-27A: Temporary Emergency Operations Due to COVID-19

DTA
On March 10, 2020 a State of Emergency was declared by Governor Baker to support the Commonwealth’s response to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). DTA is taking steps to ensure that active clients do not experience a disruption in benefits and prioritizes new applications.  The…

Earned Sick Time Law in Massachusetts

MLRI
Fact sheet on the earned sick time law in Massachusetts. Learn more on the Massachusetts Attorney General's website, 

Remote Legal Support Guide: A Best Practices Manual for Nonprofit and Pro Bono Innovation

Pro Bono Net, Immigration Advocates Network
Complete with an interactive appendix, this manual will help organizations learn about and explore opportunities to build their own remote legal support projects.

Eviction Innovations website

Stanford and Yale law schools
Services, tech and policies to address the immigration crisis. This site profiles current initiatives to address the eviction crisis across the United States. It is aimed at policymakers, organizers, researchers, and others who are interested in what communities around the U.S. are doing.…

2020 Upper Income Levels for MassHealth & Other Health Programs

MLRI and EOHHS
Attached are updated income tables for 2020 showing the upper income limits in MassHealth and Other Health programs. One table is the MassHealth Desk Guide showing the annual and monthly amounts that correspond to different percentages of the federal poverty level used by MassHealth; the 5%…

Boston Housing Authority v. Y.A., 482 Mass. 240 (2019): SJC Clarifies VAWA Defenses in Eviction Cases

Julia Devanthery, Dan Daley, and Lisabeth Jorgensen
A discussion of Boston Housing Authority v. Y.A., which included guidance from the Supreme Judicial Court on the application of VAWA protections in summary process cases, including holding that a tenant may raise a VAWA defense to eviction at any time during an eviction proceeding, 

Moving Benefit for SSI Recipients: $150 Cash Payment from DTA

MLRI
The Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) is in charge of issuing Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients up to $150 for moving costs if they meet certain rules.                  Who is eligible for up to…

MassHealth Premium Assistance

MassHealth
Attached is a powerpoint presentation that MassHealth's Premium Assistance Unit presented at the Jan 2020 MassHealth Training Forums. Also attached is a MassHealth memo (still current in Feb 2020) describing & giving examples of how the amount of premium assistance is calculated.

New State Public Housing Authority Plans

MLRI
In 2020, the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) will start to require public housing authorities with state public housing to submit yearly plans.  This presentation is a guide for residents and advocates about the planning process and the purpose of the plans.

The Racist Roots of Work Requirements

Elisa Minoff, Center for the Study of Social Policy
This report traces policies that take away basic assistance from families for not meeting work requirements back to practices that coerced and exploited the labor of Black families, going back to slavery.  To this day, racist myths underlie assumptions that people do not want to work, and need…

Links about identity theft and identity fraud

MLRI
The following links contain information about what to do if you have been a victim of identity theft: Identity Theft Materials (Federal Trade Commission) Guide for Assisting Identity Theft Victims (Federal Trade Commission)  Identity theft and your social security…

Impact of Legal Aid - a Client's Perpective

At the 2020 Walk to the Hill gathering, a client shared how civil legal aid helped change her life, and the lives of her four children. She is a survivor of domestic violence and her legal aid attorneys helped her with multiple issues including restraining orders, a divorce, and enforcing the…

How National School Lunch Program and SNAP Treat Income Differently

MLRI
See Flier Attached: How National School Lunch Program (NLSP) and SNAP (Food Stamps) Treat Income Differently

MassHealth & Temporary Census Earnings

Vicky Pulos
Temporary census work is currently available but MassHealth members may have concerns that the added income will jeopardize their continued eligibility for MassHealth.  This Q & A for providers & advocates describes how MassHealth treats temporary census earnings for individuals…

Scientists Are Discovering How Trauma Can Be Inherited

Dana G Smith
Scientists and therapists are now trying to understand how trauma — broadly defined as severe psychological distress following a terrible or life-threatening event — is shared across generations, whether the connection is biological or psychological, and how best to stop the legacy of…

Creating an Affordability Agenda

Jonathan Sallet
Cost is the primary reason that people do not subscribe to broadband. Current research suggests that low-income people can only afford to pay about $10 per month for broadband. One set of participants told researchers that affording $20 per month would be difficult; even at $10-15/month, low-income…

Governor's FY 2021 Budget Proposal: MLRI's Preliminary Analysis of Selected Issues

MLRI
The Governor’s FY 2021 Budget Proposal: Preliminary Analysis of Selected Cash and Nutrition Assistance, Child Welfare, Health Care, Homelessness Services, Housing and Legal Services Items On January 22, 2020, Governor Baker released his budget proposal for fiscal…

Figuring Out FEMA

Center for Urban Pedagogy
Experiencing a natural disaster is a difficult and traumatic experience. In addition to the emotional process of recovery, impacted individuals need to also navigate complex legal processes to repair their homes and replace their belongings. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provides…

Six changes affecting MassHealth on Jan 1, 2020

Vicky Pulos
Six changes affecting MassHealth on Jan 1, 2020: Primary Care Providers Joining New ACOs Jan 1 MassHealth notified 37,000 members whose primary care provider joined a new ACO that they would be assigned to that ACO on Jan. 1, 2020. The list of providers changing plans is…

Free Volunteer Tax Filing Resources

IRS
Click the "Go to Website" link below to find out how to find a free tax preparation site.  This free tax preparation locator search is maintained by the Internal Revenue Service. To find a Massachusetts site, you can also use this…

Earned Income Tax Credit

CBPP
A brochure in 21 languages explaining the federal EITC (Earned Income Tax Credit) is available at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities website at: http://www.eitcoutreach.org/outreach-strategies/materials/flyers/  Other outreach tools and materials, as well as general…

Medicare Savings Program Expansion eff Jan 1, 2020

EOHHS
There are 3 Medicare Savings Programs (MSP/Buy-In): the Senior Buy-In also called QMB that pays for Medicare Pt B premiums ($144.60 in 2020) and cost-sharing for Medicare Parts A & B, and the Buy-In programs also called SLMB or QI that only cover the Medicare Part B premiums. (Despite…

Guidelines for Attorneys in Massachusetts: Representing Sexual Assault Survivors with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Victim Rights Law Center
These Guidelines are a framework for attorneys representing victims with I/DD. The Guidelines aim to address the needs of survivors with I/DD, and to encourage attorneys to use the skills they already possess to serve all survivors. While these Guidelines are admittedly only a starting point, they…

Special Education Placement Options

Federation for Children with Special Needs
Information on placement options for students and deciding on the type of placement student needs.  This website provides easily accessible, accurate information about how to identify the appropriate educational placement for a child.  For some families, this includes when private day or…

Best Practices for Collecting Demographic Data

Emily Withnall
Collecting demographic data can be necessary and beneficial, whether it’s to ensure a broad representation of applicants in a publication or on a board, or for a fellowship offered to underserved artists who are also parents. However, the labels people use to self-identify change rapidly.…

A Quick and Easy Method of Screening for Medicaid Eligibility under the Pickle Amendment

Gordon Bonnyman
The Pickle Amendment, named after its congressional sponsor and enacted in 1977, requires that an individual is to be deemed a Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipient (which in most states means automatic Medicaid eligibility) if the individual1 was simultaneously entitled to receive both…