[Press release- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE]

Little Rock, AR - Veterans experience homelessness at rates well beyond the rest of society, leaving many who have served our country living (and dying) on the street. Veterans who are homeless or at risk for homelessness often face legal issues that make it difficult for them to obtain or maintain stable housing. The Center for Arkansas Legal Services (CALS) has long served the veteran community, and now has been awarded, through the new “Legal Services for Veterans” program, a federal grant of $147,468 to deliver these key legal services.

This new “Legal Services for Homeless Veterans and At-Risk of Homelessness” grant from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will enable CALS to deliver those legal services critical in resolving or preventing homelessness. These include accessing government benefits, navigating family law, ensuring access to safe housing, and assisting with debt, as well as related VA discharge issues. This grant enables CALS to deliver those crucial legal services to Arkansas Veterans, with a special focus on providing legal services to women Veterans.

This federal grant will also allow CALS to enhance its Veterans Legal Assistance Program, where we currently offer monthly, in-person legal assistance to Veterans in Little Rock and Pine Bluff. With this funding, CALS can continue to expand these services to Veterans in Fort Smith and other areas.

“We are excited to both expand our services to Arkansas veterans through this VA funding and to create new opportunities to find and serve veterans at risk of homelessness,” said Julie Norman, Director of Legal Advocacy at CALS. “We know from our experience that the sooner a legal need is identified and addressed, the better we can help resolve it and keep veterans where they need to be- in a safe and secure home of their own. We thank the VA for this show of support for our work.”

If you or someone you know is a low-income Veteran, we encourage you to contact our Helpline for assistance. To see if you qualify for legal assistance, please call our Helpline at 501-376-3423. The Helpline is open for calls Monday–Friday from 9 a.m.–3 p.m., or you can apply online at www.arkansaslegal.org. Additional information regarding our veteran clinics can be found online at https://www.arkansaslegal.org/veterans-legal-assistance.

The Center for Arkansas Legal Services is a non-profit organization that provides free legal services to low-income Arkansans with civil legal problems, such as criminal record sealing, eviction defense, foreclosure prevention, debt collection, bankruptcy, help for victims of domestic abuse, guardianships, social security disability, and Medicaid.

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Contact Information:
Amber Quaid
Communications Director
Center for Arkansas Legal Services
comms@arkansaslegalservices.org