When David Ralphs moved, his landlord refused to return his security deposit. Instead of giving up the money, Ralphs turned to the Dallas Tenants Association for guidance. Using the information he received and acting as his own attorney, he took his case to court and won. Since then, this neighborhood resident has dedicated himself to helping others in similar situations.
The Dallas Tenants Association is a program operated by the Housing Crisis Center. As a volunteer facilitator, Ralphs helps the association meet its primary goal – informing people about their rights as tenants. He does so by leading workshops every Saturday, which are open to the public.
People come to these workshops because they have conflicts with their landlords. Some, like Ralphs, want their security deposits returned. Others have grievances with landlords who refuse to make repairs or who enter apartments without permission. Some tenants receive unlawful eviction notices and turn to the Dallas Tenants Association in desperation.
Ralphs is not the “Mr. Fix-It” of tenant-landlord relations. He does not write letters, make phone calls or go to court for tenants. Instead, he offers individuals the information and tools they need to solve problems themselves. During the workshops, he reviews basic tenants’ rights and solutions to the most common problems. Finally, he spends time with clients one-on-one, answering questions and offering advice.
“I love the look in their eyes when you tell them they can use the law to help them win,” says Ralphs. “People love to hear that there is hope for their problems.”
Ralphs is not a lawyer by trade, but he hopes to be one someday. For now, he is a full-time computer programmer and a college student studying criminal justice. He takes classes four nights a week, volunteers every Saturday and serves on the board of directors for the Housing Crisis Center.
“I don’t know how he ever sleeps,” says Polly Dossett, volunteer coordinator for the Housing Crisis Center. “He’s amazing.”
When he’s not studying for school, Ralphs is studying for his workshops. He reads and re-reads the books about tenant-landlord laws and property codes cover-to-cover.
“How do you learn to play Monopoly?” he says. “You learn to play by reading the rules. These books contain the rules. This is the information you need to play the game.”
“David is one of the best, most-knowledgeable facilitators that we have,” Dossett says. “He knows the laws better than most of our volunteer attorneys.”
Ralphs says he enjoys his studying and volunteer work because he knows he is providing a much-needed service to the community. “The people I meet on Saturdays are just like you and me,” he says. “They just need information.”
“With the help of volunteers like David, people are able to maintain decent, safe and affordable housing,” Dossett says. “He is truly dedicated to helping people.”
Dossett says she needs more volunteers to help with the agency’s workshops on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings. The Tuesday workshops are taught in Spanish, so she has a special need for bilingual volunteers to assist clients.
At the workshops, volunteers assist with intake procedures as clients arrive. These duties include greeting clients, explaining the workshop, distributing forms and answering questions.
For information about this and other volunteer opportunities, call the Volunteer Center of Dallas County at 826-6767.
