Mark’s Musings: January 2024

Jan 24, 2024

Looking back on the past year, I’m amazed by all the changes at the Law Center for Better Housing. We’re serving record numbers of renters, helping nearly 18,000 households facing eviction or other serious housing issues in 2023. The Right to Counsel in Eviction Court Pilot Program and Rentervention are receiving more attention than ever, including news stories and winning innovation awards. If we weren’t busy enough, we even moved our offices to accommodate our growing work and staff! You can drop in and see it at our Open House event! 

Amid all this change, there is one constant: our staff. LCBH now has more than 40 employees. Our staff attorneys, paralegals, supportive services, and administrative team are the backbone of our work. I’m proud to share that as LCBH continues to deliver high-quality services to renters, we are also cultivating an organization where housing advocates want to work. LCBH has taken several steps in the past year to make this more than just a proclamation.

I’m happy to announce that in the fall of 2022, LCBH voluntarily recognized a union. On January 22nd, LCBH signed an inaugural contract with the National Organization of Legal Services Workers, UAW Local 2320, AFL-CIO (NOLSW). Together, LCBH and the Union will strengthen LCBH’s position as an organization that protects renters’ rights and provides a workplace that values the well-being of its staff. Read more here.

LCBH has also been working with a consulting firm, the Red Bee Group, on developing a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) assessment and implementation plan. Their findings center on how our staff has grown dramatically in a short period of time; is increasingly diverse; is younger than before; and is navigating a new world of remote or hybrid work. LCBH is committed to developing, implementing, and transparently communicating more DEIB-related policies. Learn more.

LCBH recently hosted Sarah Hess, a staff attorney at the Legal Council for Health Justice, for a three-day trauma-informed care training. Sarah shared information about how trauma impacts our brains and helpful tools for supporting clients who have experienced physical, emotional, and generational traumas.  Learn more here. 

We are proud to undertake these steps to make LCBH the best possible organization it can be. But don’t just take my word for it, join us for our Open House on February 15th, where you can meet the remarkable LCBH staff and board members in our brand-new space! Register here.

TAGS:  2024,   DEIB,   LCBH staff,   New Year,   Non-Featured,   Open House,   Trauma-informed care,   Union