Serving Financial Crime Victims
Scams, predatory practices, theft, and the misappropriation of assets can be devastating to older victims. Some lose their life savings and homes, accumulate debt, face eviction and homelessness, lose their independence, the respect of others and their self respect. Many experience depression and anxiety, and some contemplate suicide.
What We've Done CEJC, in partnership with the California Commission on Aging, is working to ensure that older victims get the help they need to recover. We've focused on two California programs:
What We're Doing CEJC and CCoA are continuing their efforts to extent California's Victim Compensation program to provide relief for victims of elder financial abuse and exploitation. Specifically, they are seeking to extend compensation to cover the costs of counseling to address the traumatic impact of financial crimes and exploitation and help victims assess options for recovering assets or property. They are further requesting victim compensation to cover financial counseling and advocacy with creditors, government programs, and landlords, which may be needed to prevent evictions, foreclosures, and homelessness; ensure victims' financial stability, and address legal threats (e.g. victims may be implicated in crimes against them). Compensation may also be needed to cover crime related emergency expenses such as uncompensated medical care, court costs and filing fees associated with seeking restitution from perpetrators, and moving costs for victims who are forced to relocate as a result of abuse. The two organizations will continue their efforts to secue funding for a pilot project to explore the demand for these services and their costs and impact. How You Can Help
To Learn More |
Preventing Elder Homelessness
Victims of elder abuse and other vulnerable adults are at heightened risk for losing their homes. They may be evicted as the result of financial abuse, or their homes may be unsafe as a result of neglect or self neglect. Older renters may be bullied or intimidated by landlords or property manages to get them to leave. Homeowners and home seekers are targeted for predatory lending. Recently, Veteran Administration homes have refused to readmit patients after hospitalizations. Elders who want to stay in their homes after their spouses die but who are not named on home loans are often not told by lenders about refinancing or loan and foreclosure avoidance options.
What We've Done CEJC has been working with the County Welfare Directors Association (CWDA) and the California Commission on Aging (CCoA) to create Home Safe, a homelessness prevention program and rapid re-housing demonstration program. The program would provide crisis intervention and direct services to help Adult Protective Services (APS) clients who are at risk of homelessness to stabilize their housing through counseling, in-home support, and referrals to legal assistance programs. CEJC also supported Senate Bill 1150, which boosts protections against foreclosure for surviving spouses. The measure went into effect in April 2017. What We're Doing CEJC is joining with the County Welfare Directors Association of California and CCoA to co-sponsor Home Safe, a $15 million General Fund request for a 3-year pilot project in 15 communities aimed at preventing homelessness. Home Safe pilots would be operated by APS programs to demonstrate how intervening in crises can prevent homelessness among abuse victims. APS workers would identify clients at risk of losing their homes and provide services like short-term rental and utility assistance, heavy cleaning, immediate mental health treatment, and intensive case management. It would include an evaluation component to evaluate effectiveness. How You Can Help
To Learn More For more on how you can help, visit CWDA's website: Home Safe: Homeless Prevention for Vulnerable Seniors. |
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