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DOS renews legal services contracts to protect older adults and adults with disabilities
Summary
The commission approved multi-year legal services contracts for older adults and adults with disabilities, funding eviction and benefits assistance and noting expanded outreach during eviction moratoria; public commenters emphasized language access and culturally competent attorneys.
The Department of Disability and Aging Services Commission approved two groupings of legal services contracts on Dec. 4 that staff said are critical for eviction defense, benefits advocacy and elder-abuse prevention for older adults and adults with disabilities.
Michael Zogg and Mike Sogg described the two contract groupings: legal services for older adults (partly funded by Older Americans Act allocations) covering clients 60 and older, and services for younger adults with disabilities (ages 18–59). Staff said providers shifted rapidly to remote delivery and produced informational materials on emergent issues such as eviction moratoria and stimulus-payment guidance. Zogg said these legal providers “were really quick … to turn around informational materials that could be provided to consumers.”
Public comment from Esther Leon of API Legal Outreach stressed the need for culturally competent attorneys, interpreter support, and additional casework capacity to serve monolingual clients and those facing housing or naturalization issues. Staff and commissioners acknowledged those needs; staff said provider networks include language capacity and that monitoring verifies provider reporting.
Commissioners approved the legal-service contract groupings by roll-call vote. Staff highlighted one new contractor joining the disability-focused group (Open Door Legal) and the continued role of the Independent Living Resource Center as a model for colocated legal support.
