 The James B. Moran Center for Youth Advocacy’s mission is to provide community-based legal, mental health, and restorative services for youth and families by using a holistic, healing-centered, client-driven approach. Their work strives to advance visions of a more just, racially equitable, and restorative society at the local, regional, and state levels. As Evanston’s primary legal services provider, the Moran Center relies on Connections for the Homeless and Joining Forces to provide critical housing and advocacy services for their clients, holistically addressing community members’ complex needs. In 1982, the Moran Center was incorporated as the Evanston Community Public Defender Office with three attorneys, a social worker, and some admin staff to meet the legal needs for people in Evanston who can’t afford legal help. They now provide access to justice for youth, violence prevention, civil law assistance, and restorative justice practices. Since people facing legal challenges are often under a lot of stress and may be experiencing other issues, mental health services are also provided alongside other services. The Moran Center’s services intersect with the need for affordable housing in many ways. When tenants face eviction, housing insecurity becomes a legal matter, so the Moran Center steps up to represent families in court, give legal advice, and seal any files that could reveal any evictions. When community members have a criminal record, even for nonviolent offenses, they are often unable to secure housing. The Moran Center assists residents in expunging their criminal histories to eliminate such economic barriers. Since many undocumented people are paid “under the table” and some landlords will not rent to people who do not have social security numbers or official pay stubs, the Moran Center also counsels community members about how to navigate the local housing system without identification. Like Joining Forces, the Moran Center works to change systems as well. They, too, lobby in Springfield for state-wide policy decisions that would help the communities they serve. At the county level, the Moran Center advocated to prohibit exorbitant interest rates on late rent payments and excessive security deposits, and to improve procedures for renters to withhold rent until building conditions are addressed. In Evanston, the Moran Center supported Connections’ fight to make its operations at the Margarita Inn permanent. Last year, the Moran Center provided compelling stories from their clients to advance the passage of the Just Cause Ordinance. The Moran Center stands in solidarity with Connections and Joining Forces with a shared dedication for improving housing affordability in Evanston. They are partners with us in advocating for more public investment to increase Evanston’s affordable housing stock, reforming the city’s zoning code to increase the diversity and equity of housing options, and to educate tenants about their rights. People Interviewed: Rachel Solomon (Director of Development & Communications), and Patrick Keenan-Devlin (Executive Director & Youth Defense Attorney)
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