Side by Side: Asking the Community What They Need

In 2025, PLA undertook a comprehensive legal needs assessment to better understand the challenges facing low-income communities across the city and to ensure that our services continue to respond to those needs. 

PLA conducts this assessment every five years as part of its commitment to listening to the communities we serve and strengthening our work. To capture a wide range of perspectives, PLA used a mixed-methods approach that included surveys of current and former clients, community partners, staff, and board members. The process gathered 314 responses from clients through email, telephone interviews, and online surveys, along with input from eighty community stakeholders such as social service providers, housing counselors, and legal aid organizations.

The assessment provided valuable insights that will help guide PLA’s work in the years ahead. It identified specific neighborhoods and ZIP codes where the need for legal assistance is especially high, highlighted the issues most frequently raised by clients, and revealed areas where demand for services exceeds available funding. These findings help PLA to focus its resources where they can have the greatest impact and strengthen partnerships with community organizations that work alongside us. Most importantly, the needs assessment reinforces PLA’s commitment to remaining responsive to the voices of the people we serve and ensuring that our programs continue to meet the evolving needs of Philadelphia communities.