Pandemic legal aid

The Streetlawyer Association (SLA) has provided free, low-threshold legal aid on housing and social rights on a frequented public square of Budapest every Friday since its founding 11 years ago. This activity was continued through alternative channels (email, phone) with an increased number of cases during the pandemic. We provide legal solution not instead of our clients but working with them. We managed to win several court cases. As a reaction to the fast-changing regulatory environment the SLA produces easy-to-understand legal guidelines, disseminating them online and in print.

The homeless and people living in precarious conditions have been hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many who did not face challenges before the pandemic also found themselves in distress. Rising unemployment led to an accumulation of unpaid rental and mortgage bills, and other forms of debt, pushing many to the brink of losing their homes.

We have provided free legal aid in a public square for those in need for 11 years. During the pandemic, we adapted our programme to provide our service remotely as Pandemic legal aid (“Járvány-jogsegély”). Volunteer lawyers provide legal aid via email and telephone. We also draft legal submissions and represent our clients in court.

We provide free legal aid to people in poverty on housing and social rights, as well as fight discrimination. We involve our clients in the legal process as much as possible. We also prepared easy-to-understand guidelines clarifying the fast-changing regulatory legal framework to empower our clients.

Despite the rising number of those in need, we intervened in 1,100 cases in 2020 and 2021. We helped our clients prevent further debt or losing their homes. We also won court cases to recover unlawfully withdrawn or ungranted social support.

In addition to homeless people, our programme helps low-income households struggling with debt and housing crisis. Through remote legal aid and online resources, we can provide support beyond Budapest. Family aid coordinators and shelters in the countryside can refer cases to us for assistance.