Expanding Access to Justice: A Home For All’s Legal Advocacy Initiative 

By: Justin Tucker, Legal Aid of North Carolina

At Legal Aid of North Carolina, we are committed to providing free civil legal services to those in need, focusing on issues that impact basic human needs like safety, shelter, and economic opportunity.  

Thanks to the generous support and partnership of the A Home For All initiative, our efforts to expand access to legal advocacy for individuals facing eviction have gained new momentum. With only one Legal Aid attorney for every 8,000 eligible North Carolinians, our attorneys work tirelessly to represent clients in court, provide critical legal advice, negotiate settlements, and empower clients to understand and assert their legal rights. Through this work, we strive to ensure that individuals across the state can access justice and protect their legal rights. 

Progress Update: Charlotte’s Success Under A Home For All 

With the financial support of A Home For All, our Charlotte housing unit made remarkable progress in FY2024. We not only reached but surpassed our goal of 1,000 cases, a major milestone in preventing eviction and ensuring housing stability for vulnerable tenants. Our work spans from Small Claims Court to the North Carolina Court of Appeals and even the NC Supreme Court, with cases ranging in complexity. 

In addition to direct legal representation, we’ve expanded our pro bono partnerships, organizing twice-monthly eviction courthouse clinics and monthly Lawyer-on-the-Line (LOTL) events through the Charlotte Triage Pro Bono Partnership. These efforts have provided vital legal support to tenants in need. Since July 2023, our Charlotte housing unit has grown significantly with the addition of five new staff attorneys and three paralegals—two of whom were funded directly by A Home For All efforts. This growth brings our total housing team to 15 members, ensuring more robust service delivery to our community. Despite some turnover, we’ve retained all newly hired staff, and even our newest attorneys have closed over 90 cases since joining post-July 2023. 

Next Steps: Scaling Up in FY2025 

Looking forward, with continued support from the A Home For All initiative, we are poised to make even greater strides in FY2025. We plan to hire an additional attorney and social worker to enhance our services further. We are already in the final stages of filling the social worker position, which will allow us to offer more comprehensive support to our clients. 

With these new hires, our Charlotte housing team is on track to serve and represent 1,200 clients in FY2025—an increase from the 1,000 cases handled in FY2024. As of the first quarter of FY2025, we’ve closed 317 cases, surpassing our quarterly goal of 300. Of these cases, 185 were extensive service cases (more than advice), and evictions were prevented in 160 (86.5%) of those. This consistent progress positions us to achieve even greater impact throughout the fiscal year. 

Furthermore, the addition of a social worker to our team will allow us to provide more holistic support, connecting clients with additional community resources while they receive legal assistance. This expanded approach, made possible by A Home For All, ensures we’re not just addressing immediate legal issues but also helping clients navigate other challenges they may face. 

Impact on the Community: Building Stability Through Legal Advocacy 

Our expanded work under A Home For All is creating tangible benefits for the community. By representing more tenants in eviction court and helping them avoid eviction judgments, we’re fostering greater stability for families and neighborhoods. While quantitative data on the broader societal impact can be challenging to track, we know that avoiding eviction has far-reaching benefits: tenants can keep their jobs, avoid the financial strain of relocation, reduce family stress, and ensure their children remain in school without disruption. 

As we continue to build on this vital initiative, we remain deeply committed to our mission of ensuring access to justice for every North Carolinian. With the support of the A Home For All initiative, we are not only preventing evictions—we are contributing to stronger, more resilient communities. Together, we are creating a future where everyone has the opportunity for safe and stable housing. 

A Home For All, led by United Way of Greater Charlotte, is a community-wide initiative that addresses all aspects of housing instability and homelessness to ensure every individual and family has a stable roof over their head. Learn more at ahomeforallmeck.org.