Community Legal Aid Society, Inc. (CLASI)

Thank you to our wonderful friends and supporters for believing in our mission and coming together to give the Combined Campaign for Justice a record-breaking 25th anniversary year! We are so grateful for your generosity.

Thank you to Spotlight Delaware for covering HUD's sudden termination of CLASI's federal funding to fight housing discrimination, and the impact this and other possible housing-related cuts will have on vulnerable communities across Delaware. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/e3rj3xsw

“In a time where we're talking a lot about affordable housing and the critical shortage of that housing in Delaware, this is a really big blow...The work is really crucial in preventing discrimination, preventing eviction and homelessness, allowing people to maintain housing, [and] removing barriers to housing.” CLASI's Sarah Rhine spoke with Delaware Public Media about the impact of the Dept. of Housing and Urban Development's sudden decision to cancel funding for CLASI, and more than 60 other nonprofits across the country, to enforce fair housing laws. Together, CLASI and other private nonprofits processed over 75% of all fair housing complaints last year, helping to ensure that vulnerable community members -- including survivors of domestic violence, people with disabilities, and older adults -- could access and maintain safe, affordable housing. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eZp7EDbG

CLASI's Housing Unit Managing Attorney Sarah Rhine was at Legislative Hall yesterday, joining Gov. Matt Meyer, the Delaware Division of Human & Civil Rights, the Human & Civil Rights Commission, legislators, and advocates to celebrate the proclamation of “Human and Civil Rights Awareness Day” in Delaware. We’re proud of our work enforcing Delawareans' rights under the state’s Fair Housing and Equal Accommodations laws. These laws protect people against discrimination in housing and in places that serve the public based on factors like disability, race, age, marital status, religion, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, and national origin. (Learn more about these protections here: https://lnkd.in/eYuSYNiD) The proclamation is a reminder of the critical importance of this work, especially in the wake of HUD's decision last month to abruptly cancel funding for CLASI and other nonprofits across the country to help victims of housing discrimination. While this has seriously limited our ability to do Fair Housing enforcement work, we remain dedicated to continuing to work with our partners on Fair Housing issues facing Delawareans to the extent possible, as we await the outcome of federal litigation challenging HUD's action. (Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gtPyUxVH)

We hope you'll consider supporting the Combined Campaign for Justice (CCJ) during Delaware's #DoMore24 event, which runs through 6:00 p.m. TONIGHT, Friday, March 7! CCJ raises critical funds for CLASI and Delaware's other legal aid programs, Delaware Volunteer Legal Svcs and Legal Services Corporation of Delaware. Every contribution, no matter the size, makes a real difference -- now more than ever. We invite you to learn more in CCJ's post below. Thank you to our wonderful community of supporters and to all who have donated so far!

Make your voice heard about proposed Medicaid cuts! The U.S. House is expected to vote as early as tonight on a budget resolution that threatens to cut $880 billion from the Medicaid program, which provides essential healthcare and home and community-based services to over 270,000 Delawareans. Each day at CLASI, we see how critical the Medicaid program is for the health and well-being of the Delawareans we serve, including children and pregnant women, people with disabilities, older adults, and their caregivers. In Delaware, Medicaid assists: ➡️ 3 in 5 nursing home residents ➡️ 3 in 8 children ➡️ 3 in 10 people with disabilities 📣 Contact Congress today to share how Medicaid cuts would affect you, your loved ones, and your community. If you live in Delaware, you can share your story directly with Rep. Sarah McBride's office here: https://lnkd.in/e7TJv_Ug If you live outside of Delaware, you can use this online form https://ow.ly/kNPX50V5pIq or call 866-426-2631 to reach your member of Congress.

Good luck to everyone taking the Delaware Bar Exam this week, including Nick Beard-- she will be joining CLASI's Housing Unit after the exam and shared this post in honor of her cookie-fueled preparations. Best of luck to all!

Tell Congress your Medicaid story! Congressional leaders have signaled plans to make drastic cuts to the Medicaid program, a critical lifeline for millions of people across the country. This includes 17 million older adults and individuals with disabilities who rely on Medicaid for healthcare and essential home and community-based services. You can use this simple form from our partners at the National Disability Rights Network to email your members of Congress to tell your story about the vital services Medicaid provides to you or a loved one: https://lnkd.in/e8QWJeNb. You can also call Congress to share your story at 866-426-2631. Let’s help ensure that children, older adults, and people with disabilities here in Delaware and across the country can continue to receive these critical services.

Delaware's Special Election is TODAY, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025 for Senate District 1 and Senate District 5! Polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. The election is to fill two open Delaware State Senate seats vacated by now-Congresswoman Sarah McBride and Lt. Gov. Kyle Evans Gay. To learn more, visit VoteDelaware.org. Find your district: https://lnkd.in/eu5pR9GY Find your polling place: ivote.de.gov Voters with disabilities who encounter access problems at their polling places should bring these barriers to the attention of poll workers, their county Board of Elections, and Nina Kegelman, CLASI's Voting Rights Advocate with Disability Rights Delaware, who can be reached at nkegelman@declasi.org or 302-856-2027. [Image description in alt text.] #Delaware #SpecialElection #DisabilityVote

NOTICE: On Wednesday, February 12, 2025 CLASI’s Kent and Sussex County offices will be CLOSED and CLASI’s New Castle County office will open at 10:00 a.m. due to winter weather. [Image description in alt text.]