Margaret Burgess
Host: Atlanta Legal Aid Society, Inc.
Sponsor: Cox Enterprises, Eversheds Sutherland
Eugene provided legal advocacy, outreach, and education to low-income LGBTQ people in New York City’s communities of color who were at risk of eviction or experiencing housing discrimination due to their sexual orientation and gender identity.
LGBTQ people of color, particularly those who are transgender, gender non-conforming, or affected by HIV/AIDS, face greater rates of poverty and homelessness due to persistent discrimination in housing and employment based on their race and LGBTQ identities. For the most vulnerable in the LGBTQ community, attaining housing security is an important step toward ending the cycle of poverty and homelessness. In recent years, the rapid pace of gentrification in New York City’s communities of color has jeopardized fair access to affordable housing, thereby displacing low-income communities of color. Through legal services, outreach, and education, Eugene has prevented displacement and addressed discrimination experienced by some of New York City’s low-income LGBTQ population in communities of color.
In the past two years, Eugene has:
Now that the Fellowship is complete, Eugene plans to:
Host: Atlanta Legal Aid Society, Inc.
Sponsor: Cox Enterprises, Eversheds Sutherland
Host: Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law
Sponsor: Norflet Progress Fund
Host: Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid
Sponsor: Stinson Leonard Street LLP, The Family of Hyman Edelman
Host: New York Civil Liberties Union
Sponsor: Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP