Justice & Diversity Center volunteer and Keller, Sloan, Roman & Holland attorney, John Roman, successfully defended his client from eviction in his first ever pro bono case.
Roman’s client, an elderly woman living in San Francisco, was threatened with eviction after her landlord found out that she was letting her grandson sleep at her apartment. The grandson has a mental illness and was reportedly bothering her neighbors, although all admitted they found him harmless. Still, the landlord found the grandson’s presence disturbing and told his tenant that she could only stay if her grandson left. That’s where Roman steps into the picture.
Roman was able to find his client’s grandson mental health help, checked him into a rehabilitation facility, and negotiated with the landlord to let his client stay as long as her grandson only comes over when he is in a period of lucidity.
While it’s not a perfect solution, any time an elderly tenant is able to fight off an eviction and stay and their home is a better outcome than most.
Organizations mentioned/involved: Justice and Diversity Center (JDC)