For many of our clients, obtaining the government benefits to which they are entitled determines whether they and their families have access to medical care, a roof over their heads, and enough food to eat. Our advocates help clients identify the benefits to which they are entitled, complete paperwork, and navigate the bureaucratic maze required to enroll in these programs.

Healthy Homes for Families Program The connection between substandard housing and poor health is undeniable. Living in buildings with rodent and insect infestations, with mold and lead, and without heat inevitably takes a toll on the health of tenants, especially children. Through our Healthy Homes for Families Program, ICLC provides health education and advocacy assistance to our housing clients. The community outreach and organizing that our advocates and tenant organizers do is crucial to ICLC’s ability to educate and advocate on behalf of our clients’ health. Much of our outreach and organizing focuses on the residents of buildings that have numerous housing code violations, making them unhealthy, unsanitary, and unsafe.

(from left to right) Sr. Staff Attorney Julius Thompson; Board Member Dorothy Wolpert; and Sr. Staff Attorney Michelle Kezirian with ICLC clients

In addition to informing tenants about their housing rights, our advocates and organizers work closely with our clients to determine whether they or other family members are eligible for programs such as Medicare, the state Healthy Families and Healthy Kids programs, or Social Security Disability Insurance. When they are eligible, we help our clients to apply for the appropriate program.

We routinely provide our clients with tools to improve their living conditions, including advice on healthy living within the home, support for accessing physical, dental, and mental health care, and information about the health implications of substandard housing (e.g., information about respiratory illnesses, stress effects, and the effects of exposure to lead, asbestos, and mold). Our advocates provide culturally-relevant informational materials. We distribute information on health issues such as diabetes, childhood obesity, good nutrition, and alcoholism.

Veterans Benefits Assistance

It is estimated that approximately 25% of the homeless are veterans. Through our Homeless Veterans Project, ICLC helps veterans to apply for the health care and other benefits to which they are entitled because of their service.

Financial Literacy Program

ICLC’s assistance frequently leads to substantial monetary recoveries for our clients. In such cases, ICLC’s Financial Literacy Program provides our clients with basic financial information, such as how to open a bank account and how to avoid costly check-cashing services. By providing banking, finance, and credit information in a culturally sensitive way, ICLC dispels rumors and misinformation and empowers our clients to assume more control over their lives and the security of their families.