January-February 2018 Newsletter

NEWSLETTER / January-February 2018
South Carolina Legal Services (SCLS) is a non-profit law firm. We provide free legal services in a wide variety of civil (non-criminal) legal matters to eligible low income residents of South Carolina. Our mission is to provide legal services to protect the rights and represent the interests of low income South Carolinians.
	Home For All Vanessa Johnson is a single working mother of 4 young children. When she came to South Carolina Legal Services (SCLS), she had been living in Aiken and receiving housing assistance through Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program. One of the kids had been having some difficulty in Aiken schools. Through her sister who lived in Fort Mill, Ms. Johnson heard about programs in the Fort Mill school system that might help. She found a job there and started the process of moving her family – and her voucher – to Fort Mill. Based on her landlord’s unsubstantiated allegations, and without affording her an opportunity to be heard, the housing authority refused Ms. Johnson’s request to move her voucher. This resulted in serious hardship for her and her children. SCLS’s advocacy not only helped get new housing for the Johnsons, it broke new ground for Section 8 recipients nationwide. Read More
	Federal Tax Return 2018 Filing Season It is that time of year again, Tax Filing Season! The IRS has announced that they will be accepting tax returns beginning on January 29, 2018. The tax deadline has been extended from its normal April 15th deadline until Tuesday, April 17, 2018. Here are some helpful tips for some of the most relevant tax issues of the season. Read More
	Assisting Human Trafficking Survivors Human trafficking is certainly not new to South Carolina, however, more individuals and organizations have decided to join together in ending trafficking, thereby bringing more awareness to the issue. SCLS has been at the forefront, assisting survivors and helping them rebuild their lives free of coercion and abuse.Read More
	Brief History of South Carolina Legal Services As we are celebrating 50 years of free civil legal aid in South Carolina, we’d like to take this opportunity to share with you a brief history of our law firm. Read More
	Avoid Mortgage Relief Scams Are you behind on your mortgage and looking for help? Before hiring a company to stop foreclosure or reduce your mortgage payments, check out these tips from the Federal Trade Commission. Read More