A Fresh Start for Ebony

Ebony and Stephen on move-in day

Every week, we see the impact of our work in people’s lives. Providing legal advocacy can be life-changing for the people we serve, and we thought we would take a moment to share with you one of our recent successes, and the kinds of partnerships that make genuine change possible.

Though long-time ALRP client Ebony resided in a supportive housing building, she did not feel terribly supported there.  For years she faced identity-based discrimination concerns, privacy issues, and she even experienced an assault by another resident without any meaningful action being taken by the building’s management.

For years ALRP’s HIV Consumer Advocacy Project Staff Attorney Stephen Spano had advocated for her to get a room with her own bathroom and although that request was technically granted, the building’s management only placed her on a waitlist which had over 200 people on it.

Finally, after over two years of advocating with government agencies, ALRP was finally able to secure Ebony a long-term, deep housing subsidy in a building where she can have a private bathroom as well as a number of other amenities.

While her rent will actually decrease in her new apartment, the supportive services available to her will increase. After signing her lease last month, ALRP was able to secure practical support for Ebony’s move so she could have a fresh start.

Ebony has lived a life with more than her share of knocks. But through it all she has demonstrated a remarkable level of strength and resilience. HCAP’s curly-haired and doggedly persistent Staff Attorney Spano made all the difference in pulling together the many strands that needed straightening in order to land Ebony a new home.

Ebony agrees with us at ALRP that Stephen is “one of the good ones!”