Two Community Law Clinic students recently heard word of a good outcome for one of the clients they represented in the winter quarter.

Christy Holstege (’12) and Dan Galindo (’12) represented a woman whose section 8 voucher was threatened with termination on the bases that (1) she had an unauthorized person (her children’s father) living in her subsidized unit and/or (2) her tenancy was in a home owned by a family member, specifically her children’s grandparents, and that a tenancy with such a relationship was prohibited by the federal regulations.  Christy and Dan did an outstanding job investigating this case and representing the client in the administrative hearing.  They presented both a factual defense to the first claim – that her children’s father did come to the home regularly but exclusively in the capacity as caregiver for the children when their client was at work, and did not live there – and a legal defense to the second  — that while the home was in fact owned by the grandparents, the tenant had not done anything to hide that fact from the Housing Authority, which was itself on notice at commencement of the tenancy of the family relationship and that such relationship was not grounds for termination of the tenant’s voucher.

The hearing examiner has issued his written decision overturning the agency’s termination and reinstating the voucher.  This is a significant victory for the tenant, who lives in the house with her eight children, some of whom have special needs. Please join me in congratulating the clinic on this terrific work.