Oliver Telusma

The Project

Oliver (he/him/his) will prevent COVID-19-fueled evictions of small businesses and residential renters at high risk of displacement in South Florida through direct legal representation, policy advocacy, and movement lawyering.

The COVID-19 pandemic has ravaged both individuals and businesses in Florida.  Close to one million individuals in Florida are at risk of homelessness due to not having the funds to pay rent. Many businesses are also struggling under the weight of the pandemic.  The crisis lands with a thud on South Florida communities that have long been under-invested in. Robust legal services, encompassing both direct legal services and policy advocacy to address root causes, as well as community organizing, can start to make a difference.

Oliver sees this work as the continuation of a multi-generational struggle to protect the most marginalized in South Florida.

Fellowship Plans

During the Fellowship, Oliver will work to ensure that vulnerable renters, small businesses, and the community organizations that support them in Little Haiti, Allapattah, Little Havana, and Liberty City have the legal representation and partnerships in place to survive during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Oliver will seek to utilize all resources the law provides to ensure that Black and Latinx businesses in these areas have the chance to continue to meaningfully support their communities. He will focus on identifying and preparing legal action against slumlords and landlords who have filed—and will file—to evict their tenants and educate decision-makers on systemic, community-driven solutions to these issues.  Oliver’s efforts will be in conjunction with a community-led coalition of partners and organizations to create a sustainable movement lawyering model that works for South Florida post-COVID-19.

Media