Eviction Protection Program

This program enhances housing security through legal representation, education, and resource referrals. Legal representation is available to eligible, low-income tenants (< 120% of the federal poverty level) within Bakersfield city limits. General information about California housing law is offered to the public through community presentations.

Kern Health Consumer Center

Assists Kern County residents with problems regarding Medi-Cal, Medi-Care, Covered California, and private insurance plans. Health advocates can help you with filing a grievance against your health plan, understand what health care plan you qualify for, challenge service denial, billing and affordability issues, and overcoming access barriers.

Domestic Violence Reduction Project

Provides legal assistance to protect children (prenatal to 5) from further exposure to domestic violence, abuse, and/or neglect.

GBLA also assists VAWA-eligible immigrant victims of domestic violence.

Grandparent Guardianship Project

Assists grandparents (or other close relatives) aged 55 or older to obtain guardianship of children up to 18.

Seniors Law Center

Focuses on the civil legal needs of adults 60 years and older throughout Kern County. Although the Center does not have income restrictions, priority is given to low-income seniors.

Priority service areas include consumer law matters, elder abuse and neglect, public benefits, and landlord-tenant issues.

Fair Housing Law Project

This project provides fair housing education, outreach, investigation, and enforcement services for Kern County residents who have been victims of illegal housing discrimination, regardless of income. When fair housing investigations yield evidence of illegal discrimination, this project may represent victims in administrative agency complaints and litigation.

FHLP staff can discuss the situation with you, provide counsel about fair housing rights, investigate your fair housing complaint, explain your options, and review your case for legal representation.

Sargent Shriver Housing Project

In partnership with Kern County Superior Court, GBLA operates the Landlord-Tenant Assistance Center (LTAC) located inside the courthouse in metropolitan Bakersfield as part of the Sargent Shriver Housing Project. This project prevents homelessness by defending low-income tenants in the unlawful detainer (eviction) process when the landlord is represented by an attorney and the eviction’s venue is within Metro Bakersfield. Defense may include representation at various stages of litigation such as hearings, discovery, trial, and settlement..

Social Security

The SSA unit provides assistance to those seeking to apply for Social Security Administration (SSA) Retirement, disability, or Survivors’ benefits or to those who have been denied one of these benefits. The unit has income guidelines, but will never require any applicant to reimburse GBLA for any awards that are granted.

Public Benefits Program

Assists low-income families to ensure they have sufficient resources to meet the basic necessities of life, including general assistance, CalWORKS, CalFRESH, In-Home Supportive Services, and Social Security.

Guardianship Caregiver Project

Assists with the legal guardianship of children, prenatal to 5 (and their siblings) to protect them from domestic violence, abuse, and/or neglect.