This initiative connects peer educators from community based organizations to lawyers – connecting at-risk residents directly to expert legal support, helping them navigate housing, immigration, and workplace threats. A majority of our clients are low-income, non-English speaking immigrants, primarily from Latin America and Asia. Originally centered in Supervisorial District 11, ELC has expanded to assist residents throughout Southeast San Francisco. While ALC focuses on Workers’ Rights and Jubilee on Immigration Justice, LAE leads ELC’s Housing Justice work. We provide full-scope eviction defense and tenant rights representation working to prevent unlawful evictions and tenant harassment that displace longtime residents.

Delivering justice is more than a legal battle, it is the foundation of a thriving, inclusive community. As San Francisco’s low-income immigrants, tenants, seniors, and adults with disabilities face rising housing costs and a threatening political landscape, now more than ever, LAE’s work stands strong as a vital lifeline for these communities. By supporting LAE, you can make a crucial difference by helping us provide critical services and hope to those facing an uncertain future.

Maria, 68, sought help at Our Excelsior Legal Collaborative after enduring severe habitability issues in her home, where she’s lived since 2006. Her unit was plagued by mold, leaking sinks, rotting wood, insects, and substandard electrical service. LAE’s housing team prepared a formal letter to Maria’s landlord, advocating for essential repairs. 

To Maria’s surprise, the landlord finally hired a repair person, transforming her home into a safe, livable space free of mold and pests. Overjoyed, Maria called it a “miracle” and was thrilled to have a secure, healthy home again, thanks to LAE’s support. 

But late last year, Maria’s landlord’s harassing antics began again with a series of unfounded eviction notices. These notices demanded rent that had been paid by her rental subsidy (HUD Housing Choice Voucher). Scared, Maria returned to LAE where provisionally licensed lawyer Jessia Juarez confirmed that the subsidy payments had been made and then sent a letter to the landlord demanding that the harassment cease. Today, Maria remains securely in her home of almost twenty years.