Development Services
The CED unit has a number of services and projects including:
Creating, Accessing, and Improving Jobs
To assist low-income people in getting and keeping jobs that will
support their families, this project provides free legal and technical
assistance to nonprofit or cooperative community-based organizations
that are implementing job creation, job training, entrepreneurial
training, self-employment, or business assistance strategies that
are targeted to low-income people.
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General nonprofit corporate legal issues |
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Nonprofit tax exemption issues |
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Contract drafting, negotiation, and review |
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Employment issues |
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Real estate issues |
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Issues that relate to public subsidy of major developments |
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Public Records Act, FOIA, Government in the Sunshine, and Brown Act issues |
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Job Training Program Design |
This project also works with nonprofit business ventures that provide employment training or experience for populations with special barriers to employment such as people with limited English proficiency or survivors of domestic violence.
Services we provide to nonprofit business ventures include: |
Risk assessment |
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Document review |
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Drafting/revision of formation and tax documents |
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Formation of new legal entities |
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Unrelated business income issues |
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Business permits |
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Drafting, review, and negotiation of contracts |
Finally, this project works on a policy level to ensure that government funding for job search, job preparation, job training, or economic development, such as Workforce Investment Act and Welfare to Work funding, truly assists low-income people in getting and keeping jobs that will support their families.
Affordable Housing and Community Revitalization
To help create vibrant communities, we work with Community Based
Organizations (CBOs) and low-income people by providing legal
and technical services in the areas of:
Leadership Development : Community Development and Preservation
Leadership Development services include:
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The workshop series described below |
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Helping new organizations form and become capable community organizations |
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Working with neighborhood groups on safety and beautification issues |
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Working with community groups on cultural and language preservation projects |
Affordable Housing services include:
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Development, improvement, or preservation of rental units for low-income individuals and families |
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Development of homeownership opportunities |
Community Revitalization services include:
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Development of child care facilities |
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Development of recreational facilities |
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Development of commercial space for cultural, health, and other social services |
Examples of matters we have handled:
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Providing legal and technical services to several CBOs developing over 240 units of affordable housing for low-income families |
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Providing legal and technical services to CBOs developing transitional facilities with support services for battered women and emancipated youth |
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Providing legal and technical services to CBOs developing recreational and educational facilities for at-risk youth |
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Engaging in Housing Element Advocacy to ensure that adequate housing is built in Los Angeles |
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Working in conjunction with other CBOs to secure tenant protections in projects whose affordability restrictions are ending |
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Working with the City of Los Angeles to ensure that the City's homeownership program is accessible to low-income individuals |
Driver's License Clinics
All too often, the barrier to a good job is the lack of a valid
driver's license. Our Driver's License Clinics help low-income
persons whose licenses have been denied, suspended or revoked.
Click here to find
out more about this special CED project.
Los Angeles Residents’ Accountable Development
Project
The project seeks to give low-income residents of Los Angeles
and Long Beach the tools they need to hold economic development
accountable by helping them to engage development players in a
process that builds community power and achieves community goals.
Becoming an effective community voice in development can help residents make good jobs, decent housing, home-grown business and clean, safe public space a reality in their neighborhood. The Residents’ Accountable Development Project will work with your organization to provide training, information, advice and legal representation relating to:
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Shaping commercial and residential development in your neighborhood |
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Working with City, County and State agencies involved in development |
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Winning agreements for local hiring, living wage and other community goals |
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Negotiating Community Benefits Agreements |
Transportation
Transportation policy—what is built, where it's built, whom
it serves, who decides, and how it's funded—greatly impacts
the clients and communities served by LAFLA. Transportation, and
particularly public transit, is both an environmental justice
and civil rights issue. In Los Angeles, 68 percent of those taking
transit have incomes under $15,000 and 87.4 percent are minorities
("LA Times" 9/7/00).
Our goal is to ensure that low-income people meaningfully participate in the formation of transportation policy, and that those policies help rather than hinder our clients. Presently the lack of reliable transportation is a major barrier to employment. Advocates in the CED unit work with community-based organizations that are working to remove this barrier and to take a seat at the transportation policy table.
Examples of transportation policy issues we are working on include: |
Ensuring Title VI public participation requirements are met by local and regional transportation decisionmakers |
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Providing input into public and private transportation policy for public assistance recipients |
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Providing input into transportation-related local hiring issues |
Community Planning
LAFLA assists low-income individuals and organizations representing
the interests of low-income people in participating in local and
regional land-use, transportation and environmental planning processes.
Examples of community planning projects we are working on currently
include:
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Advocating for the creation of livable communities accessible to low-income people, |
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Assisting low-income communities in forming and operating neighborhood councils |
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Securing community benefits from publicly-supported development projects |
Community Economic Development Workshop
Series
Develop and strengthen your CBO through LAFLA workshops. Topics
include:
Building a Capable Community
Organization
Nonprofits 101: Participants discover tools to strengthen their
nonprofit organizations, develop membership and leadership, incorporate
and gain tax-exemption, and more.
Top 10 Ways to Avoid
Losing Your Tax Exemption
Participants learn about tax and reporting requirements, basic
fiscal management, and restrictions on lobbying and political
activities.
Avoiding Employment
Litigation
Participants get an overview of the hiring and firing process,
employer responsibilities and liabilities, and employee benefits.
Fundraising Skills and
Strategies
Participants learn about individual donor and capital campaigns,
special events, and grants, plus get a chance to meet foundation,
government, and corporate funders.
Public Participation
in Planning and Development
Participants learn about individual donor and capital campaigns,
special events, and grants, plus get a chance to meet foundation,
government, and corporate funders.
Developing and Financing
Affordable Housing
Participants gain insights into assembling a development team,
typical legal issues in contracts, and financing sources.
For more information please visit the LAFLA Calendar or Contact Us
© 2008 Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles