Legal Services of Eastern Missouri

Civil legal issues involving housing or domestic violence can be life-altering. But legal aid for low-income clients is scarce.

Missouri officials told the federal government the reason for the delays is that several social services programs are competing for limited resources.

“While eminent domain can be scary, ultimately, this use of eminent domain protects existing residents and existing occupied businesses,” the bill’s sponsor said.

Paul McKee bought 3509 Page in 2009, only to let it deteriorate. A judge is ordering him to fix it.

A law passed by the Missouri General Assembly last year made sleeping on state-owned land a Class C misdemeanor. The legislation was modeled off a template by a conservative think tank, but housing advocates say it criminalizes homelessness and was improperly tacked onto an unrelated bill.

‘Tangled titles’ create a cascade of legal problems for homeowners in St. Louis

Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, which provides representation to lower-income individuals in housing, discrimination or other civil matters, has outgrown its current location.

The Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis launched Pro Bono Matters as a repository for civil cases that legal aid organizations cannot handle for a variety of reasons.

There are almost 25,000 vacant houses, commercial buildings and land plots in St. Louis, and about 60% are privately owned. Some nuisance properties can be a blight on communities, so neighborhood associations have been trying to acquire them or compel owners to fix them.

Though the change was approved in late June, it will not take effect until July 2023. That gives court officials time to make sure the computer system can handle the traffic, and to reinforce the importance of redacting personal or sensitive information.