Homelessness Service Project

HSP work is not limited to issues of homelessness, but covers any type of legal issues that people of the homeless and low income community encounter. The issues that the unhoused population faces have persisted through the COVID-19 pandemic. There are well over 5,000 homeless people in Alameda County, with over half residing in Oakland. The Homelessness Service Project (HSP) strives to provide as much assistance to the unhoused population as possible. HSP provides legal assistance to the homeless and low-income community in the East Bay Area. HSP is not limited to issues of homelessness, but covers any type of legal issues that people of the homeless and low income-community encounter. Homelessness Service Project (HSP) pairs Berkeley students and local lawyers to provide legal assistance to the homeless and low income community in the Bay Area. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, our primary project was at The Suitcase Clinic in Berkeley, providing legal counseling and referral services to homeless individuals who come for healthcare and housing services. In light of the current global situation, our work will center on remote client work and research. Students will have an opportunity to work with clients remotely by helping class members of the recent CalTrans case fill out and submit settlement claims forms. Students will also have an opportunity to work closely with attorneys from Homeless Action Center (HAC), Western Regional Advocacy Project (WRAP), and Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights (LCCR). Our work will include several research projects on issues of homelessness, ranging from policy research on bias in the courts to the effects business improvement districts (BIDs) have on the unhoused population.