COMMUNITY HEALTH LAW PROJECT HISTORY HIGHLIGHTS
1976
Community Health Law Project established by the New Jersey State Bar Association and designated by the New Jersey Supreme Court as a legal aid society
1978
Successful CHLP suit ensures that community residences for people with disabilities may operate in residential districts
1978
CHLP advocacy leads to amending the NJ Law Against Discrimination to apply to people with mental disabilities
1985
Federal lawsuit in Mercer County opens federally subsidized housing to people with mental health disabilities
1988
Successful CHLP lawsuit prohibits state from terminating adult dependents with mental disabilities from health insurance coverage under their parents' State Health Benefits Plan
1994
CHLP receives U.S. Housing and Urban Development grant for work in removing architectural barriers in public accommodations
1995
Favorable Appellate Division ruling on CHLP-initiated suit forces NJ casinos to implement affirmative action programs of employment for people with disabilities
1996
CHLP statewide survey shows that only 4% of residential multifamily units comply with state and federal architectural barrier laws
1996
CHLP federal court suit results in invalidation of NJ municipal zoning laws that exclude group homes for people with disabilities from residential neighborhoods
1998
CHLP receives U.S. HUD grant for work in removing architectural barriers in multifamily dwellings such as apartments and condominiums
2001
CHLP establishes statewide health insurance consumer assistance program
2002
CHLP class action results in agreement by developer to fund $300,000 worth of accessibility renovations in 266 residential units
2004
Successful CHLP precedent-setting Appellate Division decision excluding SSI benefits from being used for child support obligations of parents with disabilities in Burns v. Edwards
2005
CHLP successfully advocated for eliminating state and county institutional and hospital liens, and limiting cost of care for patients of public psychiatric hospitals
2005
CHLP successfully advocated for statewide ADA standards and compulsory training of local welfare agencies to identify and accommodate the special needs of people with disabilities
2005
CHLP advocacy leads to NJ Fair Housing Act amendment requiring all new multifamily Mt. Laurel housing to be adaptable for use by people with physical disabilities
2006
CHLP expands mental health legal and advocacy services into Hudson, Ocean, and Burlington counties
2007
CHLP files federal court complaint against Port Authority of New York and New Jersey alleging that Jersey City PATH station is inaccessible
2008
NJ Superior Court judge orders $1.5 million worth of retrofits to make condos accessible in ADA v. Renaissance
2009
CHLP successfully advocated for a law requiring public official and commercial data companies to remove lien records of former psychiatric patients from public view
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