The Social Services Unit of the Section represents the Community Action & Human Services Department and the Public Housing & Community Development Department, as well as the Homeless Trust. The Section provides legal advice to the County in numerous transactions, such as the conveyance of County property in urban areas through the Infill Housing Program for construction of affordable housing; construction and acquisition financings for projects which benefit persons with a variety of needs; and acquisition and siting of Domestic Violence and Homeless Assistance Centers. In addition to serving as general counsel to the HIV/AIDS Partnership, the Children's Trust and the Domestic Violence Oversight Board. The attorneys in this section represent 13 Community Redevelopment Areas ("CRAs") that are empowered to use an increment of real property taxes to alleviate slum and blight conditions, acquire property through eminent domain and carry out other governmental functions which further the community developments goals of the County, while balancing the rights of individual land and business owners who may be affected by the operations of CRAs. The Section also handles litigation matters, such as defending the County against class action lawsuits filed by public housing and Section 8 tenants in federal and state courts, defending and prosecuting mortgage foreclosures and lawsuits against social service providers for breaches of County contracts, and defending the County against lawsuits filed by challengers to bidding procedures for social services contracts.
The following are attorneys who specialize in this practice area: