Melanie: Protecting a Child through Legal Guardianship
I was just five years old when I entered the foster care system with my older brother by my side. In 2007, I was adopted by a family in Spokane, but my brother was sent to an all-boys group home designed to ‘straighten out’ wayward youth. It stripped away his childhood and he was propelled into the vicious cycle of juvenile detention centers until he turned 18 years old.
Housing Authority Forced to Drop Unlawful Tenant Fees
Following legal advocacy by Northwest Justice Project (NJP), the Housing Authority of Grant County (HAGC) removed improper attorney fees from the accounts of tenants in subsidized and public housing — a small but significant victory amid growing housing crisis. Scott Crain, NJP Attorney and Acting Director of Advocacy, first discovered HAGC was unlawfully charging attorney […]
A Protection Order Can Save a Life
Introduction In 2024, Northwest Justice Project aided 216 people in obtaining Domestic Violence Protection Orders and protective parenting plans. One of these people was Romey, whose partner sexually assaulted and nearly killed her. April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and in sharing her story our goal is to honor all survivors, their courage and perseverance. […]
Death, Deception, and Dollar Signs: Alleged Probate Fraud Investigated
April 2025 — Northwest Justice Project’s Foreclosure Prevention Unit (FPU) was instrumental in uncovering a massive scheme targeting deceased homeowners’ properties. The FPU discovered the scheme in the course of assisting homeowners with foreclosures on homes they had inherited. In one shocking case, an heir discovered a deceased relative’s home completely emptied. In another, the […]
Northwest Justice Project Names Abigail Daquiz as New Executive Director
The Northwest Justice Project (NJP) Board of Directors has selected Abigail Daquiz as the organization’s new Executive Director, effective today.
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Ed and Tina Demand the Titles to Their Mobile Homes
Mobile home residents can face many challenges, among them: park owners withholding titles after homes are fully paid for. NJP attorney Jason Vilaysanh recently represented three such park residents from a single mobile home park in Elma, Washington. Ed Gains His Title One of these tenants, Ed, waited seven years to receive the title to […]
Mobile Home Tenants Win $5.5m in Historic Refunds from Mega-Park Owner
Jess* is 79 years old and lives on a fixed income of $1,500 a month. She owns her mobile home and does what she can to maintain it, but the rent she pays for her space in the manufactured home park has doubled over three years and now consumes almost half her income. At the […]
NJP in the News: Burien Homeless Get Their Day in Court
PubliCola reports on a King County Superior Court case where unsheltered Burien residents are suing the city over a law that criminalizes sleeping outdoors 24 hours a day. Represented by Northwest Justice Project attorney Scott Crain, plaintiffs argue that the ban, passed on an “emergency” basis in January 2025, violates constitutional rights to travel, constitutes […]
Deanna: Caught Between Two ‘Landlords’
When my dad was placed on hospice care, I found a house that would be suitable for myself, my dad, and my three stepchildren. I signed the lease, and we moved in. The owner of the house didn’t live in the area and had enlisted the next-door neighbor to serve as “the landlord.” While this […]
NJP in the News: Alex Galarza reaches out to WA farmworkers about their rights
This Community Q&A in the Yakima Herald-Republic features Alex Galarza, who heads farmworker outreach for Northwest Justice Project across Washington state. “We assist warehouse employees, dairy workers, field workers, and H-2A guest workers who only come for the season and have no one explaining anything to them, making them more vulnerable to labor abuse. We […]