As the eviction moratorium ends on August 26, Pisgah Legal is preparing for a flood of cases from tenants facing eviction and possible homelessness. Another impending crisis is facing survivors of domestic violence, as millions of dollars in lost state funding is threatening to disrupt services for victims of domestic violence, child abuse, sexual assault, and human trafficking. Read more about these funding cuts here.
In the midst of these crises, there are opportunities to help meet the need. Buncombe County Commissioners will vote in August on how to allocate part of the $50 million in federal COVID Recovery Funding provided by the American Relief Plan Act (ARPA). In response to the County’s request for proposals, Pisgah Legal collaborated with other local nonprofits and submitted applications for funding to support homelessness prevention and protect victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse.
Lend Your Voice
Contact Buncombe County Commissioners today and ask them to approve Pisgah Legal’s applications for funding these essential programs.
It’s as easy as emailing the County Commissioners by visiting the Buncombe County Commissioners webpage and clicking the “all” button when using the “Email Us” form to ensure that each County Commissioner receives your email.
Here is a sample script:
My name is _____ and I live in Buncombe County. I am writing to ask the Buncombe County Commissioners to approve Pisgah Legal’s requests for COVID Recovery Funding to support their vital homelessness prevention and domestic violence prevention programs.
Last year, Pisgah Legal impacted more than 11,000 people in Buncombe County and the need for their services is expected to increase significantly in the coming year as the eviction moratorium expires and thousands face homelessness. Pisgah Legal also needs to replace the $1.2. million over two years lost in Victims of Crime Act funding that enables their attorneys to take legal action so that survivors of domestic violence can escape abuse and rebuild their lives. Pisgah Legal provides free legal aid that is key to making our community a stronger and more equitable place to live, work and raise children.