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Our Work
Litigation
PILP provides persistent and agressive litigation on behalf of its clients. All staff are lifelong advocates of the underserved, and work in close conjunction with over 35 local legal services programs annually. Our successful litigation confers significant benefits on our lower income clients by adding thousands of units of affordable housing and saving thousands of individuals, families and youth from the loss of essential public assistance.

Advice & Advocacy
The Project undertakes multi-faceted advocacy to serve low income persons, ranging from litigation to administrative and legislative advocacy and collaboration with community based organizations. Each year, attorneys participate in drafting or supporting state legislation to further protect the civil rights of lower income Californians.

Training
We expand the abilities of local attorneys by providing comprehensive substantive law and skills trainings, including:

* Affordable housing laws, including housing elements * Fair Housing * Relocation assistance * Redevelopment * Securing benefits for vulnerable youth and their families * Foster care and Supplemental Security Income Benefits

Recent Success
Litigation:

In Leonard v. Wagner, San Francisco Superior Court Judge Busch ordered on July 9, 2009 that the State's "completion rule" illegally discriminates against foster youth with disabilities. Continue reading for more information.

On March 23, 2009, CAHLP and co-counsel Public Counsel, Rebecca Thornton, O’Melveny Meyers, and Gibson Dunn & Crutcher reached a settlement in Rogel, et. al. v. Lynwood Redevelopment Agency, Superior Court, County of Los Angeles, Case No. BS106592. Plaintiffs challenged the Redevelopment Agency's failure to provide relocation assistance, replacement housing units, inclusionary housing units, and to make proper deposits and expenditures from its low and moderate income housing fund. Continue reading for more information.


Legislation:

With the help of PILP attorneys, three important bills were signed by Governor Schwarzenegger in October 2007:

AB 1331 provides a safety net to foster care youth with disabilities who are exiting the state’s foster care system.

AB 987 is a redevelopment bill that strengthens the long-term affordability restrictions imposed on lower-income housing units that are produced as a result of redevelopment.

AB 976 prohibits discrimination against non-citizens by cities and landlords.

 
PILP also sponsors the California Affordable Housing Law Project (CAHLP), which provides technical assistance, policy analysis and litigation support on housing issues throughout the state, focusing on cases addressing housing elements, community redevelopment, fair housing, and relocation assistance.

CAHLP produces two related manuals, available to IOLTA programs without charge. Portions of these manuals are available on our resources page.