Mid Minnesota Legal Aid (“MMLA”) partners with PUC to host in-person legal clinics at Brian Coyle and Waite House to provide a variety of free legal services to low-income and elderly clients.

In this June edition of our report to PUC check out a note about what kinds of public benefits issues we help with, a story and lesson about the power of the interconnected services offered at the Brian Coyle Center, and the clinic’s statistics from May!

Brian Coyle Center Legal Clinic

Legal Aid’s Legal Clinic at the Brian Coyle Center (420 15th Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55454) offers nearly every legal service that Mid Minnesota Legal Aid offers. See a list of our services below.

One of the services listed is “Public Benefits.” Legal Aid lawyers are often called on to help people make appeals or challenge public benefits overpayments. But we do not help people apply for public benefits. For help applying to public benefit programs it is better to seek the help of a social worker or visit the Hennepin County workers at the Brian Coyle Center on Monday or Thursday each week!

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday 9 AM – 3 PM (General Civil)

• Guardianship
• Divorce
• Custody
• Evictions
• Public Benefits
• Consumer Issues
• Criminal Expungement
• Eviction Expungement
• Damaged/Unsafe Housing
• Section 8 Issues
• Lost Security Deposits

Thursday 9 AM – 3 PM (Immigration)

• Naturalization
• Green Cards
• Derivative Citizenship
• Adjustment of Status
• U/T Visa
• VAWA

Waite House Legal Clinic

MMLA’s immigration legal clinic at Waite House (2323 11th Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55404) provides brief services and advice for immigration matters including: pro se asylum applications, pro se work card applications, and brief advice and consultations. It is open every Monday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Appointments can be made with the front desk staff at Waite House. Walk-ins are welcome, but they are not guaranteed to be seen—appointments are strongly preferred. All staff at the Waite House Legal Clinic speak Spanish and English.

A Story and a Lesson

The Brian Coyle Center is a great one-stop shop for the community because it has a so many services to offer people. For one recent client, the communication between Brian Coyle Center’s Legal Clinic and their on-sight Hennepin County workers made all the difference.

This Spring, an elderly disabled Ethiopian man came to the Brian Coyle Center. He is a kind and respectful man and had run into an issue with his health insurance card. For months he had not been able to use it to pay for medicine that he needed to ward off spells of dizziness. A couple of years ago he had fallen on ice and hit his head. Since then, he has needed this vital medicine.

The man from Ethiopia knew of the legal clinic because he had used it previously to help with a different matter. Frank met with him to try and figure out why he was not getting a new valid medical insurance card. Frank tried to contact the right agencies but got a bit lost in the trying to navigate Hennepin County’s many different programs. Fortunately, on Mondays and Thursdays, the Brian Coyle Center also has Hennepin County workers that speak Oromo and Somali.

The Hennepin County workers were able to cut through all the confusion and determine the issue quickly. The elderly man filled out an additional form, turned it in, and is now able to pay for his medicine with his insurance.

Lawyers can help with many issues but not all of them. It is best for everyone involved to consider what kind of worker can help best.

For initial benefits applications people should seek out a case worker. They can try calling Hennepin County Front Door (612-348-4111) to get connected with a social worker. If you need more information about your Hennepin County benefits or applications then come to the Brian Coyle Center on Mondays and Thursdays to talk with the on-sight Hennepin County workers. And if you have been denied a public benefit and want to appeal, then come to the Brian Coyle Center Legal Clinic for help!

A Look at the Numbers

In May the Brian Coyle Center Legal Clinic opened 18 new cases and closed 17 cases. During that same time, Waite House opened 10 cases and closed 7 cases! Both clinic sites saw a decrease in numbers. It is not clear why the numbers are lower. May 25th was memorial day and May 27th was Eid which may account for a few less people coming to the Brian Coyle Center. Even with lower numbers it is busy in the clinics. We are hard at work helping the clients that came in over the last few months!

Here are some graphs with each clinic’s monthly new and closed cases. New cases opened in the month are in blue. Cases closed in the month are in orange.

As temperatures get warmer, more people are coming into the Legal Clinics at the Brian Coyle Center and Waite House. Good news for them, Mid Minnesota Legal Aid (“MMLA”) partners with PUC to host in-person legal clinics at Brian Coyle and Waite House to provide a variety of free legal services to low-income and elderly clients.

In this May edition of our report to PUC check out a note about where to seek assistance for child support, a story and lesson about what to do when you are charged too much for rent, and the clinic’s statistics from April!

Brian Coyle Center Legal Clinic

Legal Aid’s Legal Clinic at the Brian Coyle Center (420 15th Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55454) offers nearly every legal service that Mid Minnesota Legal Aid offers. See a list of our services below. Anecdotally, the most common legal issues on the “General Civil” days (M – Wed) have been Section 8 issues, public benefit overpayments and denials, and questions about child support and child custody modifications. For the most part, the Legal Clinic at BCC does not provide legal representation for child support cases. The first place to look for child support assistance (in Hennepin County) is your child support worker or at the child support agency ([email protected] | 612-348-3600).

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday 9 AM – 3 PM (General Civil)

• Guardianship
• Divorce
• Custody
• Evictions
• Public Benefits
• Consumer Issues
• Criminal Expungement
• Eviction Expungement
• Damaged/Unsafe Housing
• Section 8 Issues
• Lost Security Deposits

Thursday 9 AM – 3 PM (Immigration)

• Naturalization
• Derivative Citizenship
• U/T Visa
• Green Cards
• Adjustment of Status
• VAWA

Waite House Legal Clinic

MMLA’s immigration legal clinic at Waite House (2323 11th Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55404) provides brief services and advice for immigration matters including: pro se asylum applications, pro se work card applications, and brief advice and consultations. It is open every Monday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Appointments can be made with the front desk staff at Waite House. Walk-ins are welcome, but they are not guaranteed to be seen—appointments are strongly preferred. All staff at the Waite House Legal Clinic speak Spanish and English.

A Story and a Lesson

An older father who lives with his college-age children came into the clinic because of issues with his landlord and his public housing subsidy. He had recently reported his income to the public housing administrator. When they calculated the portion of the rent he had to pay for, something was wrong. The administrator sent him three different papers all saying that his portion of the rent was a different amount. One of the papers said this client’s portion of the rent was $300 less than it had been in the past. Believing this was the accurate one, the client started to pay less in rent. The landlord disagreed and said our client was not paying his rent. This led to the tenant owing thousands, and the landlord filed an eviction.

The father came to the Brian Coyle Center Legal Clinic and told us about his situation. We were able to secure rental assistance funds from Hennepin County and the eviction was dismissed. We advised the client to keep paying the amount the landlord says is the correct rental amount until he could clarify with the housing administrator how much he actually should pay in rent each month. He is in the process of getting that solved, while still living in his home with his two children.

If you have any kind of subsidized housing that requires you to report your income you may have been through a similar situation. When you believe your portion of the rent should be lower than it is, it is best to continue paying the higher amount. Then work with the subsidized housing administrator to re-calculate your portion of the rent. This way you will not face an eviction case. If you are evicted you will have a much harder time getting new housing, especially subsidized housing.

If you get a notice from your landlord that they are going to evict you, please come to the Brian Coyle Center on Mondays – Wednesdays from 9 am – 3 pm. The sooner you come the more likely we can help you stay in your home!

A Look at the Numbers

In April the Brian Coyle Center Legal Clinic opened 30 new cases and closed 33 cases. During that same time, Waite House opened 23 new cases and closed 16 cases! Waite House saw a significant increase in opened and closed cases. This may be a sign people feel safer to go out of their homes and into the community. Or maybe its just the warmer weather. Either way, we will continue to monitor these trends.

Here are some graphs with each clinic’s monthly new and closed cases. New cases opened in the month are in blue. Cases closed in the month are in orange.

Happy spring! Mid Minnesota Legal Aid (MMLA) partners with PUC to host in-person legal clinics at Brian Coyle and Waite House to provide a host of free legal services to low-income and elderly clients.

In this April edition of our report to PUC, check out the change to the services offered on Wednesdays at the Brian Coyle Center, a story and lesson about legal tools to care for loved ones, and the clinic’s statistics from March!

Brian Coyle Center Legal Clinic

Legal Aid’s Legal Clinic at the Brian Coyle Center (420 15th Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55454) offers nearly every legal service that Mid Minnesota Legal Aid offers. Previously Wednesdays at the Brian Coyle Center were devoted to housing issues. Now, it is available for any legal-type. Thursday is still reserved for immigration issues only. Folks with housing issues can now come to the clinic Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday to receive help:

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday 9 AM – 3 PM (General Civil)

• Guardianship
• Divorce
• Custody
• Evictions
• Public Benefits
• Consumer Issues
• Criminal Expungement
• Eviction Expungement
• Damaged/Unsafe Housing
• Section 8 Issues
• Lost Security Deposits

Thursday 9 AM – 3 PM (Immigration)

• Naturalization
• Green Cards
• Derivative Citizenship
• Adjustment of Status
• U/T Visa
• VAWA

Waite House Legal Clinic

MMLA’s immigration legal clinic at Waite House (2323 11th Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55404) provides brief services and advice for immigration matters including: pro se asylum applications, pro se work card applications, and brief advice and consultations. It is open every Monday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Appointments can be made with the front desk staff at Waite House. Walk-ins are welcome, but they are not guaranteed to be seen—appointments are strongly preferred. All staff at the Waite House Legal Clinic speak Spanish and English.

A Story and a Lesson

Earlier this year, a Somali woman came into the Legal Clinic at the Brian Coyle Center. She is the mother and caretaker of her adult daughter who has a developmental disability. She is also the primary caretaker of her daughter’s son, who is 3 years old. She had been taking care of both of them for years, but there were things she could not do to help them without legal help. For instance, she wasn’t allowed to make important medical decisions for her daughter in case of an emergency.

Understandably this woman believed she needed guardianship of her daughter and custody of her grandson. Those options involve long and complicated legal processes. Fortunately, her daughter welcomed her mother’s support. That meant the daughter could sign three important documents: a Power of Attorney (POA) and Healthcare Directive (HCD) for herself and a Delegation of Parenting Authority (DOPA) for her son.

Now the daughter’s wishes to be taken care of and have her mom take care of her son are being met! This was all possible without complicated and time-intensive court processes.

It is good to know that guardianship is only for extreme situations. Less intrusive options (like powers of attorney and healthcare directives) are often enough to provide care for someone who needs extra support. To learn more about guardianships and the less intense alternatives check out these websites:

• Powers of Attorney – https://www.lawhelpmn.org/self-help-library/fact-sheet/powers-attorney
• Healthcare Directives – https://www.lawhelpmn.org/self-help-library/fact-sheet/health-care-directives
• Guardianships and Conservatorships – https://www.lawhelpmn.org/self-help-library/fact-sheet/guardianships-and-conservatorships

You can also schedule an appointment at the Brian Coyle Clinic!

A Look at the Numbers

In March the Brian Coyle Center Legal Clinic opened 35 new cases and closed 18 cases. During that same time, Waite House opened 9 new cases and closed 6 cases. It is normal for the Brian Coyle Clinic to have more cases each month because it is open more days a week.

Here are some graphs with each clinic’s monthly new and closed cases. New cases opened in the month are in blue. Cases closed in the month are in orange.

This is the first monthly letter coming out of the Pillsbury United Communities (PUC) supported legal clinics! Mid Minnesota Legal Aid (MMLA) partners with the Brian Coyle Center and Waite House to provide a host of free legal services to low-income and elderly clients. Each month we will share the work we are doing, some numbers, and helpful resources for the community.

Brian Coyle Center Legal Clinic

Legal Aid’s Legal Clinic at the Brian Coyle Center (420 15th Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55454) has grown to offer nearly every service that Legal Aid has to offer. Here is how that breaks down every week:

Monday and Tuesday 9 AM – 3 PM (General)

• Guardianship
• Divorce
• Custody
• Public Benefits
• Consumer Issues
• Criminal Expungement
• Landlord / Tenant
• And More!

Wednesday 9 AM – 3 PM (Housing)

• Evictions
• Eviction Expungements
• Damaged or Unsafe Housing
• Housing subsidy problems
• Lost security deposits

Thursday 9 AM – 3 PM (Immigration)

• Naturalization
• Green Cards
• Derivative Citizenship
• Adjustment of Status
• U/T Visa
• VAWA

 Waite House Legal Clinic

MMLA’s immigration legal clinic at Waite House (2323 11th Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55404) provides much needed brief services and advice for immigration matters including: pro se asylum applications, pro se work card applications, and brief advice and consultations. It is open every Monday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m, appointments can be made with the front desk staff at Waite House, walk-ins are also welcomed.

A Story and a Lesson

Ahmed was facing a collection action, and sought our help at the Brian Coyle Center. We carefully reviewed his financial situation and saw he was receiving Medical Assistance—a “needs-based” public benefit. Fortunately for Ahmed, Minnesota exempts anyone receiving needs-based assistance from collection. We informed Ahmed of his rights and offered to help assert these exemptions. If you (or someone you know) cannot afford to pay a debt and is facing collection, come into the Brian Coyle Center Legal Clinic to see if your income is protected. You can learn more here: https://www.lawhelpmn.org/

A Look at the Numbers

In February the Brian Coyle Center Legal Clinic opened 22 new cases and closed 25 cases. During that same time, Waite House opened 7 new cases and closed 15 cases. It is normal for the Brian Coyle Clinic to have more cases each month because it is open more days a week.

Here are some graphs with each clinic’s monthly new and closed cases. New cases opened in the month are in blue. Cases closed in the month are in orange.