By Katelyn Golsby, SR-SIS
Florida is not among those states that decided to enact mitigating legislation following the end of the national eviction moratorium on August 26th, and the state’s modified eviction and foreclosure bans were ended by executive order on July 30. Although federal funds for rent and mortgage payment assistance is available for low to moderate income households through the state’s Housing Initiatives Partnership program, the lack of state and federal protection from eviction and foreclosure is a heavy burden for the hundreds of thousands of people who have experienced a loss in income due to the ongoing pandemic.
Below is a list of free or low-cost resources available in Florida for those who are representing themselves or for those who are seeking free or low-cost legal assistance. Most sources are relevant state-wide, with a few being relevant only in Miami-Dade County, where I am currently located.
Self-Help Sources
Interactive website that asks a series of questions about the user’s legal issue. Under the ‘housing’ section, the website has an Eviction & Ejectments option, and asks for additional information that may enhance the suggestions for legal help provided at the end of the brief questionnaire. Website users can select the Florida county in which they reside and provide information about income and household size for more personalized suggestions. The resulting webpage lists self-help resources like forms and FAQs and legal aid sources, like special legal aid helplines for veterans and domestic violence survivors.
Designed by Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, this interactive court form builder suggests that the user contact a local legal aid office when appropriate and provides a questionnaire that otherwise assists the users in building the necessary forms for their county and circumstances. The questions include a description of where certain information needed to complete a form may be found.
Self-help website for the Florida state court system. Features include a court document builder, form finder, and a helpful video library. There is also a link to the Florida courts help app.
Florida DCF Emergency Rental Assistance Program
Although it may be too late for some people facing eviction to apply for emergency assistance, I wanted to list this site because it provides links to emergency programs by county.
Legal Aid Organizations and Programs
Referral service by the Florida Bar Association. Can submit requests online or over the phone. The Florida Bar can refer prospective client to attorneys who speak English, Spanish, or 13 other languages.
Free civil legal aid provider for low-income children and adults in Miami-Dade County. Offers a wide range of services, including help with housing, evictions, and real property matters.
A Note on the Increase of SRLs in Probate Matters
While researching for this blog post, I spoke with other nearby law librarians to determine what kind of assistance is being provided to SRLs. Interestingly, it was brought to my attention that there are more people reaching out for assistance and forms for probate matters than for housing matters at this time. The number of people who need assistance with probate matters has risen exponentially due to the increase in deaths in south Florida. If any readers of this post have similar experiences, please feel free to reach out to me—I am interested in whether this is the experience of other law libraries, too.
About the Author: Katelyn Golsby is the Reference & Instructional Services Librarian at the University of Miami School of Law Library. She can be reached via email at Katelyn.golsby@law.miami.edu.
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