John* (name changed to protect confidentiality), who has schizoaffective disorder and orthopedic impairments, contacted FAIR immediately after spending over a year in incarceration. He was in a restrictive transitional housing program, which kept him from doing things like owning a cell phone to communicate with employers and leaving the facility as desired.
His goal was to move to Baton Rouge where his family lives. His case manager helped him get his Social Security Disability Insurance reinstated, increasing his monthly income by $861. He had an out-of-state flag on his driving record, and his case manager helped him reach out to the Traffic Court to structure a payment plan for the $763 he owed in fines. When the first payment was received, the flag was lifted and he was able to get his driver’s license for the first time in 8 years.
The client has since paid this legal debt down by 45%. He was concerned that he would have to leave New Orleans without any savings, since his housing program had collected over $2,400 from him and a complex legal contract did not make it clear how much he could recoup if he left the program before its completion.
His case manager partnered with Disability Rights Louisiana’s Director of Community Advocacy, an attorney, to write a letter outlining why John expected to leave the shelter with $1,300. The transitional housing facility provided his with the full $1,300 within days of receiving the letter. This was enough to help him handle moving expenses and he is now settled in his own apartment in Baton Rouge, where he plans to finish his bachelor’s degree and work part time at a motel.
