Survey shows lack of legal services for the poor

The CLEAR Project polled 179 low-income residents in Springfield and found that 67 percent of them needed legal services but could not pay for them. Seventy percent of those surveyed said legal issues that weren’t taken care of had prevented them from obtaining housing.

“This clearly proves something that we already knew,” said Doug Kays, executive director of Legal Services of Southern Missouri, and a member of the CLEAR Project network, in a news release. “That is why it is so important for us to continue to provide access to legal resources for the low-income population.”

CLEAR was organized in 2003 to address a growing need for legal help for low-income citizens. The group has developed several resources, including a referral service, a legal information resource center and “Know Your Rights” workshops that address family law, mediation and employment law.

Other organizations participating in the CLEAR Project network include Southwest Missouri State University’s Center for Conflict Resolution, the Mayor’s Commission on Human Rights, Pro Se Help International and attorneys Roland Comstock, Terry Tolbert and Daniel Parmele.