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Housing & Economic Rights Advocates (HERA)

HERA is a California statewide, not-for-profit legal service and advocacy organization dedicated to helping Californians — particularly those most vulnerable — build a safe, sound financial future, free of discrimination and economic abuses, in all aspects of household financial concerns. We provide free legal services, consumer workshops, training for professionals and community organizing support, create innovative solutions and engage in policy work locally, statewide and nationally.

Who We Are

Housing and Economic Rights Advocates (HERA) is a California statewide, not‐for‐profit legal services organization based in Oakland, California. HERA provides free legal services to low and moderate income residents to help tenants, homeowners and homeless residents.

Our Work


  • We promote affordable and fair credit access, asset building and preservation.

  • We fight abusive mortgage servicing, problems with homeowner associations, foreclosure, escrow and other homeowner problems.

  • We fight predatory lending of all kinds.

  • We fight discrimination in financial services and consumer transactions.

  • We provide financial counseling to individuals and community education workshops.

  • We train service providers and other professionals.

  • We translate our clients' experiences and needs into policy work.

  • We collaborate with many different partners across the state and country.

  • We create positive solutions for vulnerable residents.

Get Help

  • Reentry

    We help people going through reentry — and their family members — build or rebuild their credit, and we teach you how to address lingering debt problems so that you get a fresh financial start.

  • Students, College and Debt

    HERA helps you figure out the cost of college, legitimate providers, and how to pay for college. We help you manage student loan debt, whether from college or a for-profit school, and we fight predatory lending practices and scams.

  • Debt Collection Problems

    We will coach you through the process of how to handle various kinds of debt. On all debts, you have a right to be treated properly by whoever is trying to collect. HERA teaches you your rights and protects you along the way.

  • Seniors

    HERA helps seniors figure out how to hang onto their home and age in the community where they want to be. We also help seniors figure out how to manage all of their debts and other financial concerns.

  • Building Credit Safely

    Everyone needs to understand how credit works and how it affects their lives. It is also important to figure out how to build or improve your credit, and how to manage it afterward. HERA helps you with that.

  • Veterans and Servicemembers

    Veterans and servicemembers are targeted for financial scams and expensive credit. Veterans can also face additional burdens financially and need particular help addressing debt and credit concerns. HERA helps veterans and servicemembers and their families handle both.

  • Immigrants

    HERA helps immigrants understand and navigate our complex financial services systems. We also help immigrants build credit, address collections concerns and abusive practices that target them.

  • Homeownership Preservation

    HERA helps homeowners understand their legal rights and how to hang onto their home. That includes helping owners with a condo or townhome. Homeowner Associations ("HOAs") and debt collectors for the HOA often erroneously handle homeowner accounts. This can lead to excessive costs and/or wrongful foreclosure on homeowners, particularly older adults or people with disabilities.

  • People of Color

    People of color are targeted for abusive consumer scams and products. We help you understand your rights and address the problems you are having.

  • LGBTQ

    LBGTQ residents are frequently denied fair acess to credit and consumer services. HERA helps you understand and fight for your rights.

  • Estate Planning

    There is a racial and gender wealth gap in our country. HERA provides full service estate planning services on a sliding scale to help you keep what you have and protect yourself and family.

  • Medical Debt

    California residents who are uninsured or who face high medical costs have a right to free or discounted care for services received at hospitals. If you have high medical bills or medical bills in collection, HERA can help you understand your legal rights and how to address these problems.

Get In Touch

California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA) and HERA are currently engaged in a collaborative homeless prevention effort throughout Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. If you are a tenant in need of help, please contact HERA at 510 271-8443, ext. 300, or inquiries@heraca.org, OR, contact CRLA at  1-800-337-0690.   CRLA is also leading a five-county mass record clearing campaign.  If you are interested in clearing your criminal record, please contact CRLA at (805) 902-CRLA or email reentry@crla.org.

 

Send Us an Email

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Workshops

Upcoming Dates and Topics

HERA offers workshops to provide legal information to the public on a wide variety of topics, including debt collection and credit, and how to keep your home and avoid foreclosure. Topics will rotate over time. Check to see which workshops are bilingual and in which languages.

Please reach out to us about contracting for workshops or call 510-271-8443 ext. 300.

You Should Know This

Resources. Information. All the news you need.

 

Meet the Team

Maeve Elise Brown

Nisha Ajmani

Daniel Alper

Aren Ash

Natasha Blazer

Kendra Bowen

Kasandra Calderas

Mary E. Day

Mary E. Day

Gina Di Giusto

Meghan Grim

Siyi He

Arthur D. Levy

Alejandra Luna

Amina Merritt

Veronica Soto Miller

Vanessa Minero

Vanessa Minero

Faviana Schectman

Michael Sun

Kathleen Thaete

Audrey Powers Thornton

Susan Yea

Xinyi Zhang

Xinyi Zhang

Irene Zhu