Posts Tagged ‘Housing’
Is Your Landlord Required to Fix Your A/C?
By Emily Blackshire-Giel and Donate James It is no secret that it can get HOT in South Carolina’s summers. But who is responsible for making sure a unit has air conditioning? Under South Carolina law, it depends! There are four essential services that landlords must provide access to renters in SC – heat, running water,…
Read MoreWhat to Know Before Going to Court
Written By Equal Justice Works Housing Fellow Dontae James Appearing for a court date can be a stressful experience, but understanding the process and familiarizing yourself with what to expect can help to alleviate that stress. In this guide, we discuss a few things to keep in mind before heading to court for your case.…
Read MoreHow a Criminal Record Can Lead to a Lifetime of Housing Issues in South Carolina
Written By Emily Blackshire-Giel, EJW Housing Fellow Attorney Edited by Dontae James, EJW Housing Justice Fellow The impact of having a criminal record can permeate into every part of a person’s life. Over the next month, we’ll be exploring the different ways the criminal justice system makes it difficult for individuals to stabilize and return…
Read MoreHow Housing Issues Quickly Become Health Issues: Edith’s Story
“I can’t sleep, I can’t eat, I can’t take a bath. I can’t walk around barefoot. They’re all over my clothes and making me sick.” While having a roof over your head often is a signal of stability, for Edith and her family it’s been anything but that. From bugs to lack of repairs to…
Read MoreWhat is a 14 Day Letter? (Letter and Sample Included)
Tenants who are struggling to get their landlord to make repairs, especially repairs materially affecting the health and safety or physical condition of their property, should send their landlord a letter regarding the landlord’s duty to fix the property (per SC Code Ann. § 27-40-610). This is called a 14 Day Letter. When writing a…
Read MoreThe Impossible Task of Finding Rent on a Budget: Tonia’s Story
“They were passing out evictions like ice cream in South Congaree,” says Tonia. Tonia lives in Richland county – at least, she is trying to. It was just a couple of years ago when she suddenly was forced to move away from her home on Farrow Road. Desperate for a place to go, she…
Read More“I wanted to cry so bad. Now I feel I’m stuck.” – Amara’s Housing Story
When it comes to being a tenant, sometimes trying to do everything right is not enough. That’s a lesson that Amara* has learned in the hardest of ways. Amara is a mother of three children, who also often cares for four of her nieces and nephews, since their mother tragically passed away. For more than…
Read MoreSC Housing Stories: Helping Residents Facing Eviction | NAACP Housing Navigator Program
Welcome to another installment of our South Carolina Housing Stories Project! Our Housing Justice Organizer, Sloan Wilson (she/her), sat down with Ashley Blas (she/her) and Glynnis Hagins (she/her) to learn more about the NAACP’s Housing Navigator Program in Columbia, SC. This program connects folks in Richland County with legal and financial help with those facing…
Read MoreSC Housing Stories: Providing the Foundation For a Future | Homeless No More
Welcome to the second feature in our South Carolina Housing Stories project! In this series, we will be talking with advocates, community members, and more about housing issues in South Carolina and discuss the need for housing investments in our state. We spoke with Lila Anna Sauls, the President and CEO of Homeless No More…
Read MoreSC Housing Stories: How Small Changes Can Make Big Differences | The Rainy Day Fund
Welcome to the first feature in our South Carolina Housing Stories project! In this series, we will be talking with advocates, community members, and more about housing issues in South Carolina and discuss the need for housing investments in our state. For our first story, we sat down with Kieley Sutton, a public defender at…
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