<p><strong><span style="font-size: 20px;"><em></em><em>Know the basics to protect your home and family</em></span></strong></p><p><em><strong><br></strong></em></p><p><em><strong><br></strong></em></p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BBq3_APnmbk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><p><em><strong><br></strong></em></p><p>Eviction is a scary situation. Having at least some basic knowledge of your rights and the process can help ease that fear and let you know your options. Eviction law does differ from state to state, so it is best if you get in contact with a tenants’ rights group familiar with the law in your particular state/town—but here are the basics.</p><p><strong>What is an eviction?</strong></p><p>An eviction is a legal process where a landlord attempts to force a tenant to move out. There are several different types of notices that a landlord can serve. Your landlord may personally deliver the notice to you—it does not need to be served by a sheriff or notarized. The landlord may serve the notice to an appropriate person in your household or post the notice on your door as long as it is also mailed.</p><p><strong>How many days do I have to pay my landlord?</strong></p><p>Usually there is a three-day pay or vacate notice. This means that if you do not pay your landlord the rent in three days, he can proceed with the eviction process. It does <em>not</em> mean you have to be out in three days. If you wish to avoid the eviction process, either pay your full rent or vacate within three days. Avoid paying in cash, if possible. If not possible, then be sure to get a receipt. Avoid drop boxes for rent as well, as sometimes the landlord may not get the rent in a timely manner.</p><p><strong>What if I can only make a partial payment?</strong></p><p>A landlord does not have to accept partial payment for rent during the three-day time frame. If he does accept a partial payment, make sure to have clear documentation. In some states, this may invalidate the eviction process.</p><p><strong>But I have small children—how can they evict me?</strong></p><p>Unfortunately there is no exception in the law for Solo Moms with small children, people who have just lost their jobs, etc. You also cannot withhold rent for unmade repairs or complaints against the landlord.</p><p><strong>What if I don’t move or pay my rent?</strong></p><p>The landlord will have you served, by the sheriff or a process server, with a “Summons and Complaint.” If you do not respond to this paper, you will lose the eviction. You typically have a week to write a response to the court. Read the summons carefully, and follow all directions. If you are having difficulty understanding it, call the court for clarification. Once the court receives your response, they will file for a court date. You will receive notice of the court date. </p><p>Eviction is a serious matter and losing an eviction case can hamper your chances of obtaining housing in the future. Rent should always be the first priority when paying bills. If you still find yourself in this situation, act quickly, and document all steps along the way. Laws vary from state to state, so if you are served with an eviction notice, your best bet is to contact legal aid in your city.</p><hr><p><span style="font-size: 11px;">Image via Shutterstock.com</span><br></p>
<p><em><strong>Where to find help if you recently became a <a href="https://esme.com/voices/perspectives/whats-a-solo-mom" target="_blank" class="wordlink">Solo Mom</a></strong></em></p><p>Many of us are just one crisis away from financial instability. We do just fine with careful budgeting and regular expenses. Then someone gets sick, a car breaks down, or a beloved pet needs care, and suddenly we can’t pay our bills.</p><p>In these situations, it’s smart to seek help sooner rather than later. Many programs and places offer a small amount of financial assistance, but once things start to snowball, these programs are no longer available. Here are some resources that may be able to help.</p><p><strong>Utility bills</strong></p><p>It’s very common for people to need help paying their utility bills, such as electricity and gas. Most utility companies have some sort of “forgiveness plan” that accepts small payments toward your larger bill. The utilities won’t tell you about it, so you will need to ask. </p><p><strong>Departments of social services</strong> </p><p>Departments of social services, often known as DSS, offer “emergency assistance” to people who need help. Different states and communities have their own department, so search for your local DSS online. The department will require you to provide documentation, such as shut-off notices or eviction notices, to receive aid, and will also ask for proof of income and other information. This department is a good place to start if you find yourself in need of emergency financial assistance.</p><p><a href="http://catholiccharitiesusa.org" target="_blank"><strong>Catholic Charities USA</strong></a></p><p>Catholic Charities USA is a national organization with local offices that help people regardless of their religious, social, or economic background. Many Catholic Charities provide emergency financial assistance to people in need. They will require you to provide documentation of the need and of your expenses and income.</p><p><a href="http://www.ywca.org" target="_blank"><strong>YWCA</strong></a></p><p>The YWCA offers numerous programs for women, including financial literacy programs to promote economic empowerment from budget basics to planning for retirement. With the support of the Allstate Foundation, every YWCA in the country has been provided with the Allstate Moving Ahead Through Financial Management Curriculum, a financial literacy course. The YWCA also offers a variety of other programs, including women’s health programs, job training, and early childhood programs. </p><p><a href="http://www.aidforsinglemothers.net" target="_blank"><strong>AidForSingleMothers.net</strong></a></p><p>AidForSingleMothers.net has compiled information from various sources on grants and scholarships available to Solo Moms. The numerous grants listed include those for financial help for divorced women and moms, housing grants, home energy grants, and day care financial help for working Solo Moms. On the website’s homepage, look for the Single Mother Financial Help Information section, which provides links to pertinent information.</p><p>Sometimes, despite all your careful saving and planning, life throws a curveball. These resources should be able to help.</p><hr><p><span style="font-size: 11px;">Photo credit Shutterstock.com</span></p>
<p><strong><em>Another decision that will help dismantle discriminatory practices</em></strong></p><p>The Supreme Court has had a busy summer! Several cases, including the Marriage Equality and Affordable Care Act rulings, have garnered huge media attention. But a quieter ruling may be just as important. The Supreme Court’s Fair Housing ruling may have wide reaching impact for Solo Moms. It will allow Solo Moms and others to fight back against not just unfair housing practices, but racial and gender discrimination in a wide assortment of situations. </p><p>In a nutshell, the Supreme Court ruled that housing policies that segregate minorities in poor neighborhoods violates the Fair Housing Act of 1968. The ruling was based on the Disparate-Impact Doctrine, which states that a policy can be considered discriminatory if it has a disproportionately adverse impact on a group of people based on race, gender, national origin, color, religion, sex, familial status, or disability. Disparate-impact cases do not require a plaintiff to demonstrate an intentional discriminatory act. It only requires that the policy have an adverse effect on a particular group, no matter what the intention of the policy is. </p><p>In the Fair Housing ruling, Texas was awarding tax breaks to developers who were building low-income housing in low-income neighborhoods. They were not providing similar tax breaks to developers who wanted to develop low-income housing in predominately white suburbs. Texas argued that they were helping the low-income neighborhoods by providing housing to an often overcrowded area. The plaintiff argued, however, that this policy was an act of segregation and did not allow low-income housing to be placed in white suburbs. The Supreme Court agreed. In a 5-4 vote, the Supreme Court stated that the Fair Housing Act is not immune from disparate-impact claims and sided with the plaintiff in this case. The ruling strengthens the original intention of the Fair Housing Act and gives precedence for plaintiffs going forward.</p><p>The recent Supreme Court decision does contain language that tempers its ruling and limits disparate impact claims. It limits disparate-impact claims to cases where laws or policies raise “artificial, arbitrary, and unnecessary barriers.” This wording gives the lower courts a fair amount of leeway in interpreting the laws. It also states that purely statistical evidence of disparate impact is not enough; plaintiffs must also show that the policy or law caused that impact. Putting the burden of proof on the plaintiff will be hard. However, this ruling sets a potential precedent for using disparate-impact theory to combat discrimination in many areas other than housing.</p><p>Traditionally, a plaintiff has had to show intent to discriminate in order to win a case. But this ruling may be used to fight discrimination in many areas other than housing. Employment is an area where racial and gender discrimination occurs. Many companies require employment testing. If a plaintiff can show that testing disparately impacts a racial minority or a particular gender group, the test would be considered discriminatory. It doesn’t matter whether the intention of the test is to discriminate or not, what matters is the impact the test has. This would not affect tests that are directly job related or jobs where tests are required (such as certain civil servant positions).</p><p>An interesting area that may be affected by the recent ruling is health insurance. The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) was passed in 2009. It made discriminating against someone based on their genetic data illegal; however, it did not allow for disparate-impact cases. This recent ruling could allow employees to sue employers and insurance companies if they are excluded from coverage because of genetic traits of certain diseases.</p><p>Formerly incarcerated women are another group that can benefit greatly from this recent ruling. There are policies that deny a formerly incarcerated person from applying for food stamps or certain types of jobs. Although these policies are not based on gender, there appears to be a disproportionate impact on formerly incarcerated women. This recent ruling may open the door for disparate-impact suits in the future.</p>Although the recent ruling had a fairly narrow focus, the support that the Supreme Court showed for the Disparate-Impact Doctrine could have far-reaching effects. Solo Moms are often on the front lines of housing policies and this ruling provides them with some protection against unfair policy. There are areas such as voting rights, drug laws, and <a href="https://esme.com/resources/c/education" target="_blank" class="wordlink">education</a> where the disparate-impact doctrine could be used. The fight against implicitly discriminatory laws and policies will be a long and hard legal and political battle. But this recent ruling adds another weapon to dismantling the inequalities that still remain a part of the American landscape.<hr><p><span style="font-size: 11px;">Image via Shutterstock.com</span></p>