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Initiative to provide legal assistance for homeless veterans looking for additional help

Marilyn Odendahl
November 20, 2012
Keywords
Features, Legal organizations/services
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Continuing its effort to secure on-going legal services for homeless veterans in Indianapolis, the Hoosier Veterans Assistance Foundation of Indiana is seeking the assistance of a consultant.

In September, the non-profit along with a small group of local attorneys made a public call for proposals, a Request for Good Ideas, on providing legal help for veterans struggling to become self-sufficient. The request garnered proposals from Indiana Legal Services, Inc., and the Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic as well as individual attorneys.

After examining the proposals, the HVAF and the attorneys involved have decided to enlist the help of someone who has both expertise and 20 to 30 hours to devote to reviewing the offers.

The HVAF is now issuing a Request for Proposals for Legal Services Consultant to help review the proposals and select the one that will best serve the needs of the veterans. 

“We think they will provide a much more in-depth and detailed and objective analysis of the options,” said Bill Moreau, partner at Barnes & Thornburg who is among the lawyers assisting HVAF.

The attorneys and HVAF want to start a program in January that will not only provide legal assistance to these veterans but will be sustainable. Veterans struggling against homelessness are often hindered in finding permanent housing by a variety of legal matters.

HVAF envisions a program that would help these veterans with filing paperwork for services with the Veterans Administration to helping resolve legal entanglements such as unpaid child support or landlord-tenant concerns.

The consultant will be tasked with several duties. These include doing an analysis of the legal issues which are most likely to confront homeless veterans; making an assessment of the costs associated with hiring a staff attorney; recommending the best approach for tracking clients from intake through the final disposition; and evaluating the proposals received.

To keep on track to have legal services in place by the start of the year, the HVAF has established a tight timeline. Consultants’ proposals are due by Nov. 28 and the consultant will be selected Nov. 30. Then the consultant’s written report is due by Dec. 17.

Interested consultants should submit a written proposal electronically to Charles Haenlein, HVAF president and CEO, at CHaenlein@hvaf.org.

 

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