▁with ▁housing ▁issues , ▁home ▁improvement ▁fra ud , ▁and ▁Federal ▁Emer gency ▁Management ▁Agency ▁( FE MA ) ▁claims . ▁For ▁low - in come ▁vict ims , ▁Bet ▁T zed ek ▁was ▁the ▁sole ▁source ▁of ▁free ▁advoc acy . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 5 , ▁Bet ▁T zed ek ▁initi atives ▁revealed ▁disturb ingly ▁neg lig ent ▁conditions ▁in ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁area ▁n urs ing ▁homes . ▁To ▁address ▁this , ▁Bet ▁T zed ek ▁spons ored ▁major ▁state ▁legisl ation ▁that ▁provided ▁new ▁standards ▁and ▁prote ctions ▁for ▁low - in come ▁elder ly ▁residents ▁who ▁were ▁most ▁at ▁risk ▁for ▁elder ▁ab use . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁Bet ▁T zed ek ' s ▁law suit ▁against ▁Hill h aven , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁largest ▁n urs ing ▁home ▁ch ains ▁in ▁the ▁country , ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁company ▁agree ing ▁to ▁change ▁business ▁practices ▁that ▁viol ate ▁state ▁and ▁federal ▁law ▁and ▁led ▁to ▁financial ▁hard ship ▁for ▁residents ▁and ▁their ▁families . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁Bet ▁T zed ek ▁brought ▁a ▁major ▁class - action ▁suit ▁with ▁pro ▁b ono ▁coun sel ▁against ▁ 1 6 ▁European - based ▁ins urance ▁companies ▁who ▁refused ▁to ▁honor ▁ins urance ▁policies ▁purchased ▁by ▁Jews ▁who ▁per ished ▁in ▁the ▁Hol oca ust . ▁With ▁up ▁to ▁ 6 0 % ▁of ▁all ▁surv iv ors ▁living ▁in ▁pover ty , ▁this ▁advoc acy ▁provided ▁des per ately ▁needed