Montana Lawyer August/September 2024

Let your network know that MERA funding exists for emergency rental assistance. Get familiar with and refer folks to the MLSA website. Pick up the phone and negotiate with landlords. Offer to find safe accommodations for displaced family pets. Assist your neigh bor in applying for housing vouchers. Be a mentor. I've made countless cold calls to Montana lawyers, experts in their fields, to ask for advice on issues that kept me up at night. Not once has a Montana lawyer turned me down, telling me to learn the hard way. For all of you who have donated your time and shared your wisdom, thank you. If you are not in a position to give your time, consider a generous financial contribution to the cause. There’s no “one size fits all” ap proach to pro bono work. Your capacity to show up in the face of suffering may change from day to day, hour to hour. The scope and range of our actions matter less than how well we respond to the specific demands of our commu nity. Together, we can respond to these crucial times with compassion and treat our neighbors with humanity.

requirements surrounding eligibility for housing assistance and protections for homeowners continue to evolve, it’s not surprising that homeowners are confused about their rights and op tions. Legal assistance pre-foreclosure can make a world of difference in the life of a person who risks losing every thing and is unlikely to be able to afford another home.

employment opportunities. MLSA at torneys are drinking from a firehose to respond to initial landlord notices in this compressed timeline and help ten ants apply for federal emergency rental assistance (MERA). MERA benefits through MLSA will end this December. What Can You Do? The most important help you can give to a client in crisis is active listen ing. For example, you may be able to identify 5 or more urgent legal issues that need urgent attention, but the is sue keeping your client up at night is what will happen to their pets. Listen for the simple request, which could be as easy as helping a neighbor in crisis communicate with a lender, landlord, organization. Lawyers have power and privi lege in that when we reach out for communication, our voices are usually heard. For distressed homeowners, grants through the Montana Homeowners Assistance Fund (HAF) Program may be available for mortgage reinstatements, lien prevention, utilities/internet, home repairs and forward-facing monthly payments. The key to HAF funding is that the client has engaged in loss mitigation discussions with the lender . It is beyond the scope of this article to dive into the HAF program, but I will happily provide further detail to anyone interested, just reach out at achambers@ mtjustice.org.

Under current Montana law (absent contrary language in the lease agree ment), a family can be displaced in as little as 13 days (less if the tenant fails to respond to the complaint for eviction in the 5-business day window). Imagine trying to work, parent, pack up a life, secure alternative housing, reserve a U-HAUL, and find storage within that time. The silver lining is that tenants still have access to the courts, an opportunity to ask questions and have an impartial decision-maker to evaluate the claims. However, a court-ordered eviction remains on the tenant's credit report, limiting future housing, financing, and

Endnotes 1

2023 Legal Needs Assessment, Montana Legal Services Association. These concerns are closely followed by challenges in accessing public benefits and cash assistance.

AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2024

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