By Jadranko Tomic-Bobas, Managing Hotline Attorney One thing Michiganders love most about living in the beautiful state of Michigan is the ability to experience all four seasons in their full glory. Sometimes, we even get to experience them all in one day. However, the drawback to this is that the winters can be bitter, miserable and even dangerously cold, especially for many low-income families and households who … Continue reading Home Heating Tax Credit
via CNBC by Deborah Nason, CNBC June 22, 2017 Should you pay off your mortgage before you retire? There’s no clear-cut answer, as the strategy depends on the client’s tax situation, asset and income levels, and attitudes toward debt and investment. Financial advisors discuss the pros and cons. Read the full article. Continue reading Pros and Cons of Paying off Mortgage Before Retirement
By Nicholas Goodman, MiCAFE Network Specialist For many, holidays in December bring joy and excitement. For those living on a fixed income, the social expectations for providing meals at family gatherings can be stressful and overwhelming. Here are some resources to make this time of year less anxiety-inducing: Feeding America has a network of food banks in the southern lower peninsula. You can search by … Continue reading Putting Food on the Table for the Holidays
by Katie Burns, J.D., Attorney, Housing Counselor, and HUD Certified Reverse Mortgage Counselor The Step Forward Michigan program has helped thousands of homeowners avoid mortgage, reverse mortgage, and property tax foreclosure. It was created in 2010, after Michigan received $498 million of the Hardest Hit Loan Fund established by the US Department of Treasury. Michigan homeowners with a qualifying hardship receive a mortgage lien and forgivable … Continue reading Step Forward Receives Additional Funding
by Ellen Mason, J.D., Hotline Attorney Your friend, Jane, has been living in your house with you. She hasn’t been paying rent and she didn’t sign a lease. Yesterday, you had a fight with her and now you want her out. Can you change the locks on your house or just toss her belongings out? No. Michigan law considers Jane a tenant even though she’s never … Continue reading “Get out of MY house”
by Jessica Sanchez, J.D., Housing Services Manager, Housing Rights Center of Michigan Even after the Supreme Court’s landmark decision against the Texas Department of Housing in the summer of 2015, some Texas state leaders are still opposing low income housing in their communities. Background In Texas Dept. of Housing and Community Affairs vs. The Inclusive Communities Project, the Inclusive Communities Project, a group that advocates for … Continue reading Update on The Supreme Court’s Watershed Fair Housing Decision
by Kathryn Larlee, J.D., Hotline Attorney According to Senior Living.org, a person turns 65 every 10 seconds in this country. By 2030 the number of people 65 or older will be 71.5 million. Of these, roughly 70% are not confident they will have enough money to live comfortably when they retire. A major concern for many baby boomers is the cost of housing. Depending on … Continue reading Landlord/Tenant Rights – The Right to Break a Lease to go into Senior Housing
The Step Forward Michigan Program was established to help people in Michigan who are having trouble keeping up with their mortgage payments or property taxes. The Step Forward Michigan Program is ending soon! HRCMI, a program of Elder Law of Michigan, Inc., has helped Michigan homeowners apply for and receive over a million dollars in Step Forward funds. Now is the time to act before this … Continue reading Time is Running Out to Apply for Step Forward Funds
by Sandra Wisnewski, J.D., Director of the Legal Services This month, Attorney Katie Burns has been selected as Elder Law of Michigan’s (ELM) employee of the month! In 2014, Katie became a full-time employee in the Housing Rights Center of Michigan, a program of Elder Law of Michigan. Previously she participated in the Americorps program, helping to establish HRCMI. HRCMI is one of the newest programs of ELM. … Continue reading Employee of the Month: Katie Burns
![Andrew Jameson at en.wikipedia [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons](https://i0.wp.com/advancingsmartly.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/2048px-sacred_heart_major_seminary.jpg?resize=870%2C773&ssl=1)
On September 15, 2015, hundreds of seniors attended the Senior Independence Benefits Fair held at the Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, MI (pictured above). The event was co-sponsored by Elder Law of Michigan, Inc. (ELM), Detroit Area Agency on Aging, the National Council on Aging, the Southeast Michigan Senior Regional Collaborative, and the Center for Financial Health. Speakers presented on a wide range of topics including: … Continue reading ELM co-sponsors Senior Independence Benefits Fair in Detroit
