Register for Part 2 of our conversation on addressing gaps in Emotional Support Animal (ESA) documentation and protection for vulnerable communities!
HEART LA’s Zaira Bernal (Paralegal) and Diana Cruz (Program Director/Law Clerk) will return to the All Call on October 1 for a conversation on addressing landlord resistance to ESA protections. What do you need to know to advance disability justice and help people and pets at risk of eviction stay together in your community? Submit your questions for the presenters.
About the 10/1 Call:
In this follow-up presentation, we shift the focus from individual barriers to the systemic challenges presented by landlords, particularly small property owners, in ensuring the legal protections afforded to tenants with Emotional Support Animals (ESAs). Despite clear state and federal laws, landlords often disregard these protections, leading to ongoing harassment, pushback, and, in some cases, the denial of rightful accommodations for individuals with disabilities. This presentation will explore how tenants frequently report resistance from landlords even after informing them of their rights, highlighting the critical role larger organizations play in advocating on their behalf.
The presentation will conclude by offering strategies for intervention that our organization has found effective. These include drafting reasonable accommodation requests on behalf of our clients, involving governmental agencies like the Los Angeles Housing Department and the California Department of Disabilities, and partnering with animal welfare organizations to identify solutions that benefit all parties. By acknowledging landlords as actors in the housing ecosystem and uplifting tenant power, this presentation aims to foster a more equitable approach to ESA-related housing issues, ensuring that legal protections are upheld for vulnerable individuals in our community.
Watch the Part 1 recording. At the 9/17 All Call, Zaira and Diana explored common challenges individuals with disabilities face when seeking the required documentation for Emotional Support Animals (ESAs), focusing on the limitations of current policy and real-world hurdles. They also offered practical solutions HEART LA has implemented to address these challenges. These include facilitating self-certification for individuals receiving disability benefits in California, partnering with organizations to connect clients with healthcare providers, directly engaging with cautious medical professionals to educate and alleviate concerns, and training caseworkers and other qualified third parties on how to issue ESA documentation.
The All Call is a twice-monthly, California community call for animal well-being professionals that occurs on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday. The one-hour call is a dedicated space to share and learn from each other. Popular topics include initiatives that create a more inclusive culture for both staff and community, programs that keep pets with their people, industry trends, research studies, as well as the hard stuff, like what’s not working or what is particularly difficult during times of scarcity. The call is a mix of presentations, storytelling, open discussion, and Q&A time.
The All Call is hosted by California for All team members Allison Cardona, Nadia Oseguera, and Ivy Ruiz, and is enriched by rotating facilitators. You only need to register one time. Calls are sometimes recorded; recap emails with supplemental resources are sent post-call.
