Clean Slate Will Help Prevent Homelessness in Pennsylvania
In Pennsylvania, homelessness is getting worse On any given day, 15,000 Pennsylvanians experience homelessness. Rates of homelessness in Pennsylvania have…
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A Brief History of Criminal Record Clearing Work Performed By Community Legal Services
In 2018, Governor Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania signed the Clean Slate Act. With its signing, Pennsylvania became the first state
CLS Expungement Presentation
In 2018, Governor Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania signed the Clean Slate Act. With its signing, Pennsylvania became the first state
Clean Slate Takes a Step Forward
On Wednesday, April 11th, Clean Slate moved a step closer to becoming law, when PA House Bill 1419 was passed…
What Colleges Need to Know About New SNAP Rules to Help Hungry Community College Students
The following information comes from the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. Which students have always been eligible for SNAP (also…
Need Help Paying for Food? Most Community College Students Can Now Get SNAP (Food Stamps)
Good news! Starting March 2018, most low-income community college students can get SNAP benefits (food stamps). Apply Now! Until now,…
Reporting Expunged or Sealed Cases in Commercial Background Checks Violates the Fair Credit Reporting Act
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (the FCRA) governs the accuracy of criminal background checks prepared by commercial screeners. While there…
Opening Doors: How Philadelphia Area Colleges Can Promote Access and Equity by “Banning the Box”
Young people of color across Pennsylvania are over-criminalized at staggering rates. The consequences for any contact with the juvenile or…
Foster Youth Can Now Apply for SSI 6 Months Before Leaving Care
The Social Security Administration (SSA) has a new policy to help youth transitioning out of foster care access Supplemental Security…
Testimony on Philadelphia DHS and Improving Outcomes for Children (IOC)
The following testimony was delivered by CLS Managing Attorney Kathleen Creamer to Philadelphia City Council on June 14, 2016. Printer-friendly…
Parent to Parent: A Guide to Navigating Philadelphia’s Child Welfare System
Navigating the child welfare system can be confusing, emotional, and overwhelming to a parent. The CLS Family Advocacy Unit has…
Do I Need a Medical Form To Get Medicaid?
Pennsylvania expanded Medicaid in 2015. Before Medicaid expansion, most lower-income adults who wanted Medicaid had to get forms from their…
We All Benefit from a Clean Slate for Minor Criminal Records
Over the past two decades, even the most minor criminal convictions have become lifetime barriers to the necessities of life…
Predatory: How Payday Lenders are Using Trojan Horse Tactics to Weaken Consumer Protections in Pennsylvania
Payday loans are an abusive form of lending that traps cash-strapped borrowers into a long-term cycle of debt, which leads…
New Pennsylvania Law Allows Old and Minor Convictions to be Sealed
As of November 14, 2016, people with certain misdemeanor convictions can ask the court to seal their record. A sealed record will…
Youth Justice: SSI Benefits
Billie Washington was struggling to make ends meet. A former home care attendant, she was no longer able to work…
