UNITED WE FIGHT FOR individuals and families of Jackson County who are vulnerable to homelessness. Because of your support, United Way of Jackson County is able to resource a partnership between Legal Services of South Central Michigan, Jackson District Court, and several other non-profit agencies that make up the Jackson County Mediation / Eviction Diversion Program. This collaboration is united against poverty and fights to keep people in their homes. Here is one example of how your support is making a difference in our community.
Bob and Karen were facing eviction and the real threat of homelessness. They met with an attorney working with this United Way supported program. Their lawyer discovered that the landlord was violating protection laws. He had promised them a rent-to-own opportunity but in reality, he was scamming them out of thousands of dollars with no real chance at ownership. Like many people in Jackson County, Bob and Karen were overworked and underemployed. They could barely make it from one paycheck to the next. They struggled to put together any type of savings. This landlord offered them a too-good-to-be-true opportunity and profited from their desperation. The landlord was now trying to kick them out so he could start over and scam another desperate couple.
The attorney fought for Bob and Karen. He eventually discovered the landlord held several properties in Jackson County and had scammed multiple tenants in a similar fashion. In this case, the landlord was forced to enter a proper legal land contract that gave Bob and Karen a reasonable and fair opportunity at home ownership. The landlord was forced to pay fees due to the City of Jackson and he had to give credit to the couple for repairs they made to the home.
Today, lawyers through this United Way supported program continue to fight for other clients who had fallen victim to this landlord’s business practices.
Last year, 87% of the participants in this program had a successful outcome. Your support prevented hundreds of individuals and families from becoming homeless in Jackson County.
Thank you