Maintaining the supply of safe, affordable housing is a critical challenge in Marion, according to Staci Thomas, Managing Attorney of the Legal Aid Society of Columbus‘ Marion office. She says that often tenants do not know how to solve housing conditions issues, the purpose of rent escrow or how to use it effectively.
With the help of a new grant, Legal Aid will provide information about how to establish eligibility and how to apply. And help landlords understand their rights and their responsibilities for maintaining their property, and their legal responsibilities to their tenants.
“Housing conditions are a community problem that affects the health and safety of our most vulnerable residents,” said Thomas. “Education of both tenants and landlords, as to the obligations of keeping premises in habitable condition, is a starting point to tackling a community problem that has far reaching consequences that affects many aspects of low-income residents lives and that of their children.”
A grant from the Marion County Bar Association will help the Marion Office of Legal Aid provide four two-hour education sessions for landlords, and for tenants to help them better understand their rights and responsibilities as property owners and renters. Legal Aid will provide tenants with information about how to read their lease, their responsibilities as tenants and other information that can help renters keep safe, affordable housing. Sessions will also include information for landlords and tenants about the responsibility for making repairs, and the escrow process.
Legal Aid will work in partnership with Marion Metropolitan Housing Authority and the Marion Landlords Association to develop effective outreach to both tenants and landlords.
Marion Metropolitan Housing Authority has agreed to place notice of the education sessions on their website, to send notice to tenants of public housing and to landlords renting through Marion Metro Housing.
Legal Aid will work with the Marion Landlords Association to place notice of education sessions for landlords in their newsletter.
In addition to the education sessions, Legal Aid will use the grant funds to produce educational materials in English and Spanish that will serve as reference guides for tenants and landlords and will be distributed at all education sessions and through the Marion Metro Housing Authority and the Marion Landlords Association. SEOLS will also provide for other project partners to help them better identify legal issues that may negatively impact housing stability for veterans and their families.
About Marion Online News
