$200K grant to fund LSEM programs

A $200,000 Wells Fargo grant is fueling two Legal Services of Eastern Missouri programs for the next two years.

Half of the grant is going to LSEM’s Eviction Prevention Program, which provides legal help and other support services to renters at risk of an eviction. According to a March 23 release, the funding will allow LSEM to serve more than 120 tenant households.

“As federal funding for eviction prevention dries up, it is critical that at-risk tenants receive legal assistance to avoid and defend eviction filings and remain stably housed,” wrote Jennifer Heggemann, who serves as director of social work.

Another LSEM program that helps low-income families who face the possibility of losing property due to fractured land titles that result in property abandonment. Staff and volunteer attorneys help low-income homeowners clear titles and beneficiary deed services.

“Resolving heirs’ property issues opens the door for financial and home repair assistance to maintain the property and allows families to pass their hard-earned asset on to the next generation,” Managing Attorney Peter Hoffman said in the release. “We appreciate this support from Wells Fargo, which will help prevent vacancy and residential property abandonment, especially in disinvested, historically Black neighborhoods.”

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