The Community Homeless Law Center Project is funded by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

The Community Homeless Law Center Project removes legal barriers that prohibit homeless people from securing housing and jobs either through direct civil legal assistance and case management or referral to the Community Homeless Court.

The Community Homeless Law Center Project is a part of the Kern County Homeless Collaborative (please see link below). The Kern County Homeless Collaborative is made up of several agencies that work hand-in-hand to help move homeless people (women and children included) from the streets to housing and employment.

Goal:

The goal of the Community Homeless Law Center Project (CHLCP) is to remove legal barriers to allow its clients to obtain and keep permanent housing. The program takes a holistic approach by providing social support services to its clients, while advocating through the court and administrative law systems.

CHLCP provides civil legal assistance with problems in the following areas:

• Housing
• Public Benefits
• Social Security Benefits
• Domestic Violence
• Consumer
• Education
• Health
• Other Matters

Are You Homeless?

Do you have a legal problem which keeps getting in your way?

Why not give us a call and we will let you know if we can help.

We also have an outreach worker who may be able to visit you where you are currently staying.

Our services throughout Kern County are in English and in Spanish and are free of charge.

We can be reached at 661-334-4676 or 1-888-292-4252 extension 1176 or 1-888-292-4252 extension 1193.

For Spanish speaking services please call our Case Manager, Ana Vigil, at 661-334-4676.

Partner Agencies Include:

Superior Court of California, Kern County
District Attorney’s Office
Public Defender’s Office
Community Action Partnership of Kern County
WESTEC
Bakersfield Rescue Mission
Bakersfield Homeless Center / Bethany Services
Kern County Department of Human Services
Kern County Veterans Services Department
Clinica Sierra Vista’s Homeless Healthcare Services
Kern County Mental Health
United Way of Kern County
Alliance Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault
Salvation Army

Related Links
• National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty
• Kern County Homeless Collaborative

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act

As amended by The Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act of 2009

 GENERAL DEFINITION OF HOMELESS INDIVIDUAL

(a) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of this Act, the term “homeless”, “homeless individual”, and “homeless person” means —

(1) an individual or family who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence;

(2) an individual or family with a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings, including a car, park, abandoned building, bus or train station, airport, or camping ground;

(3) an individual or family living in a supervised publicly or privately operated shelter designated to provide temporary living arrangements (including hotels and motels paid for by Federal, State, or local government programs for low-income individuals or by charitable organizations, congregate shelters, and transitional housing);

(4) an individual who resided in a shelter or place not meant for human habitation and who is exiting an institution where he or she temporarily resided;

(5) an individual or family who—

(A) will imminently lose their housing, including housing they own, rent, or live in without paying rent, are sharing with others, and rooms in hotels or motels not paid for by Federal, State, or local government programs for low-income individuals or by charitable organizations, as evidenced by—

(i) a court order resulting from an eviction action that notifies the individual or family that they must leave within 14 days;

(ii) the individual or family having a primary nighttime residence that is a room in a hotel or motel and where they lack the resources necessary to reside there for more than 14 days; or 

(iii) credible evidence indicating that the owner or renter of the housing will not allow the individual or family to stay for more than 14 days, and any oral statement from an individual or family seeking homeless assistance that is found to be credible shall be considered credible evidence for purposes of this clause;

(B) has no subsequent residence identified; and

(C) lacks the resources or support networks needed to obtain other permanent housing; and 

(6) unaccompanied youth and homeless families with children and youth defined as homeless under other Federal statutes who—

(A) have experienced a long term period without living independently in ermanent housing,

(B) have experienced persistent instability as measured by frequent moves over such period, and

(C) can be expected to continue in such status for an extended period of time because of chronic disabilities, chronic physical health or mental health conditions, substance addiction, histories of domestic violence or childhood abuse, the presence of a child or youth with a disability, or multiple barriers to employment.

(b) DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND OTHER DANGEROUS OR LIFE-THREATENING CONDITIONS.—Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the Secretary shall consider to be homeless any individual or family who is fleeing, or is attempting to flee, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or other dangerous or life threatening conditions in the individual’s or family’s current housing situation, including where the health and safety of children are jeopardized, and who have no other residence and lack the resources or support networks to obtain other permanent housing.