(Photo not that of actual client.)
JALA’s Fair Housing Unit recently helped reunite a family who’d relocated to Florida from Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria.
The family was living apart while their 4-year-old son “Isaac” was being treated for cancer at Nemours Children’s Specialty Care in Jacksonville. Isaac’s mother was caring for the family in Jacksonville while his father lived and worked in Orlando to support them.
Given Isaac’s constant need for care, his mother began to wear out. She knew that if she could move to Orlando, Isaac could still get excellent care and, more importantly, the family could reunite with Isaac’s father, who had moved to Orlando to find employment. But when she asked to get out of her lease early, the apartment complex denied her request.
JALA’s Fair Housing Unit filed a reasonable accommodation request on Isaac’s behalf, and his mother was able to terminate her lease early without penalty and move to Orlando, reuniting the family and easing her burden.
