LCE’s Alternatives to Landlord/Tenant Court Project (Alternatives Project) combines social work, legal and volunteer coordination to help prevent eviction of D.C. elders.

Legal Assistance We Provide to Tenants and/or Tenant Associations
- Eviction defense: if you received a “Notice to Vacate” and or a court summons from your landlord for issues like breach of lease or non-payment of rent, we can help you defend against eviction;
- Rent control disputes: we help you get the correct rent level under rent control, by helping you file forms and filing, defending against, rent control related petitions;
- Government subsidies: we help you prevent loss of your housing subsidy, including filing required paperwork for Section 8 vouchers, public housing and site-based subsidized housing;
- Repairs: we advocate for your right to live in a safe, well-maintained apartment, and to a rent credit for enduring those conditions;
- Reasonable accommodations: if you have a disability and need an accommodation to live in your apartment more comfortably, we can advocate for your apartment to better meet your needs;
- Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act: we work with tenants and tenants’ associations to help them exercise their right of first refusal of the purchase of their home, and to negotiate benefits in exchange for their right to purchase;
- Outreach and Education: we are glad to speak with community members about tenants’ rights and the rights of elderly tenants;
Policy advocacy to improve community responsiveness to elderly tenants, enhance affordable housing creation and preservation resources, and ensure accommodations for elderly tenants.

Social Work and Volunteer Assistance
- Assessment: of your full needs to ensure you are getting all of the services you need;
- Referrals: for services like meals, housekeeping and money management;
- Health care advocacy: we link tenants with medical service providers, home health care, and community social work referrals, for long-term health and case management;
- Volunteer coordination for tenants at risk of eviction for issues related to housekeeping or having too many possessions in the unit, we engage volunteers where appropriate;
- Counseling of clients who experience grief, loss and other mental health challenges to remaining housed.

We welcome referrals from community agencies, property managers and other community members, upon signs of eviction risks, like:
- A lapse in payment of rent
- Unpaid utilities
- Housekeeping or hoarding concerns; and/or
- Memory loss of the tenant that causes neglect of obligations that the tenant followed previously.