A 2014 study by the Boston Bar Association found that civil legal aid service providers turn away 64% of income-eligible cases, for lack of funds. That means that over 30,000 low-income residents in Massachusetts, facing eviction, domestic violence, and other crises, faced them alone. The BBA Report made special note of family law cases, which are turned away 80% of the time. Is technology a big part of the solution for this tremendous need? MA Appleseed thinks so, and is embarking on a new direction for our organization to look at the models by which low-income people are provided legal services and how technology can make a real difference in access to justice.

Our signature project positions MA Appleseed at the forefront of understanding the intersection of school discipline practices, zero tolerance, and youth entering the juvenile justice system. We seek to mitigate effects of zero tolerance, remove barriers to access to public education, and support at-risk youth to keep kids in class where they are safe, supported, and available for learning.

Unaccompanied homeless youth are youth who are not in the care of a parent or guardian and who lack safe, stable housing. Their numbers are growing and their needs go largely unmet. Massachusetts Appleseed co-wrote a policy brief entitled, “Unaccompanied, Unidentified and Uncounted: Developing Strategies to Meet the Needs of America’s Homeless Youth,” which examines their plight. The brief suggests recommendations meant to spur advocacy, further research and ultimately meaningful improvement to the lives of these children. The brief forms the basis ofMassachusetts Appleseed’s youth homelessness policy agenda, much of which we have achieved through our work on the Special Commission on Unaccompanied Youth.

Each year, the Massachusetts state legislature passes a state budget that provides funding for various state programs, agencies and departments for the following year. Throughout the budget process, advocates, including Massachusetts Appleseed and our supporters, have opportunities to contact their elected representatives and urge them to adequately fund programs that they care about.