Building Partnerships & Community Connections
Tenants who face housing insecurity do not always know about free legal aid or where to find it. Many have trouble accessing free legal aid once they know it is available.
This toolkit offers legal aid organizations ideas they can use to connect with tenants — both directly and through work with established organizations and services — so tenants can more easily find them. Many of the examples come from work already underway at legal aid organizations in Massachusetts.
Read the guide:
Additional resources:
Templates for Tenant Outreach
Use these templates and scripts to contact tenants who are facing eviction.
Community Organizations & Stakeholder Checklist
Use this checklist to identify organizations for community engagement.
Brief Paragraph About Housing Legal Aid
Use this sample language to describe housing legal aid or your organization to new partners.
Talking Points About Housing Legal Aid
Give these brief talking points to staff at partner organizations so they can answer basic questions about housing legal aid.
Approaches to High-Impact Outreach - Editable Version
Use this Word document to adapt the guide for your own needs.
Know Your Rights videos:
Know Your Rights handouts:
Handouts with information about tenant's legal rights.
Sample community engagement materials:
Advertisements
For use in print media or social media
- Statewide: 5 x 7.5, 5 x 7.25
- Greater Boston Legal Services: 5 x 7.25
- Northeast Legal Aid: 4.89 x 10, 4.89 x 5
Posters
- De Novo: 11 x 17
- Greater Boston Legal Services: 11 x 17, 24 x 36
- MetroWest Legal Services: 11 x 17
- South Coastal Counties Legal Services: 11 x 17, 24 x 36
Flyers (8.5 x 11)
- Statewide
- Community Legal Aid
- De Novo
- Greater Boston Legal Services
- MetroWest Legal Services
- Northeast Legal Aid
- South Coastal Counties Legal Services
Banners (33 x 78)
Use in public spaces, with a retractable banner stand
Tear-off posters (8.5 x 14)
Use in high traffic areas such as laundromats
- Statewide
- Community Legal Aid
- De Novo
- Greater Boston Legal Services
- MetroWest Legal Services
- Northeast Legal Aid
- South Coastal Counties Legal Services
Bookmarks (2 x 6)
Use during doorknocking or for outreach through public libraries