Innisfail and area tenants and landlords who are having disputes can now for the first time get help to resolve issues from the Central Alberta Community Legal Clinic (CACLC).
The clinic announced last month it has received two years of project funding from the Alberta Law Foundation for a Tenant Support Program.
As of April 1, the new program will assist clients with basic information and education about their rights and obligations with regards to the provincial Residential Tenancy Act.
While the clinic, who was founded five years ago, has always served clients with landlord and tenant issues, it will now for the first time provide a mediation service between disputing parties before the matter goes to court.
“”We know for sure we have serviced clients from Innisfail. Most of our business is in family and criminal law. This is the first time we have offered a mediation service,’ said Kathy Parsons, the clinic’s executive director. “Lots of times it is just a matter of clients having the right information. They don’t understand the obligations of being a tenant or a landlord. Lots of times a tenant feels he has no leverage.
“Over the past year we have seen the number of landlord tenant matters escalate here at the clinic with the closure of other supports in the community. We now have dedicated staff time to work with people with the intent of assisting those most at risk for losing their housing,” she added. “If matters escalate to court proceedings, we are able to handle that in-house as well through our staff lawyer position. It’s a natural fit for our organization and fills a huge service gap in our community.”
Parsons said statistics in her office show that between April 1, 2010 and March 31 of this year CACLC served 15 Innisfail residents and seven from Penhold, some involving landlord and tenant disputes.
“We know that they (landlord tenant disputes) do occur. We are trying to promote our service in the area around us,” she said.
With the funding the office has hired a Red Deer social worker, who has past expertise in handling landlord tenant disputes, to mediate before matters are forced to the courts.
The new service will also provide assistance around common issues such as security deposit returns and evictions. Assistance with lodging complaints with Service Alberta or making application to the Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service (RTDRS) is also part of the service.
However, Parsons noted both Service Alberta and the RTDRS are services that are provided by phone only in Central Alberta and not always conducive to people with language barriers, low literacy, brain injury or mental health issues. She said many people with these challenges can become “overwhelmed” in trying to access these services.
“Both these agencies have been referring clients to us over the past year,” said Parsons “It’s definitely a gap in service for people who are most at risk for losing their housing.”
For further information on the clinic, which is located at #301, 5008 – Ross St. in Red Deer, citizens can call 403-314-9129 or email [email protected]. The clinic’s website can be accessed at www.communitylegalclinic.net
