LCBH welcomed two new paralegals last fall. Allyse Walton (right) and Grace Rock, who started at LCBH as interns, now support our team full-time through intake services. Read on to learn more about Allyse and Grace and their work at LCBH.
Allyse Walton
Allyse, an Indiana University South Bend alumna, first connected with LCBH through an internship in 2021. Since then, she’s worked in a variety of roles at LCBH, including with the Rentervention HelpDesk and Virtual Clinic, and, most recently, as a full-time paralegal. In 2021, Allyse helped seal old, eligible records at our Eviction Sealing Clinics. Helping remove this barrier to housing encouraged her to continue working with LCBH long-term. In her free time, Allyse enjoys photography, traveling, and watching sports.
“I wanted to go into a field where I felt like I was helping people and making a difference in the world. I knew that Chicago’s housing history is full of racial inequity and injustice, but I didn’t realize how much work still needs to be done. And, of course, Covid had a huge impact on housing and eviction courts. Housing justice is important to me because everyone deserves to have safe, affordable housing. I enjoy having the opportunity to help people that would otherwise have nowhere else to turn to for assistance.”
Grace Rock
In 2020, after graduating from Loyola University Chicago, Grace began working at LCBH as an AmeriCorps Data and Technology VISTA. During her year of service, Grace worked on the Chicago Evictions Data Portal, creating a report to predict the wave of eviction filings after the COVID-19 eviction moratorium. Last year, she returned to LCBH as a paralegal. In her role, Grace educates tenants on their rights and connects them with proper resources for their needs. This fall Grace plans to enroll in law school part-time.
“Most tenants are not familiar with their rights or what kinds of resources exist for different issues. Being able to talk through whatever issue someone is experiencing and getting them to a place where they feel better or more assured by the end of the conversation is the best part of my job. I also appreciate working with a team of people who are so passionate about the welfare of others.”