News and stories about our work to protect and advance the civil legal rights of low-income Texans.
23-year-old Houston nanny Madeline Lofland lived by herself in an apartment co-signed by her mother. As many others did at the beginning of the pandemic, she found herself out of work and used her savings to fully cover rent for five months. In the fall, however, her savings ran out and her unemployment expired. Paying her monthly rent of $936 […]
Since the early days of the pandemic, federal assistance has been available through official channels for people who are eligible. However, many fraudsters have also taken this opportunity to exploit those in need by setting up COVID phishing campaigns that target users via email, text messages, social media posts, and webpages. A phishing scam is an attempt to trick someone […]
Suicide in the United States is at an alarming rate, so high that it is one of the leading causes of death in our country. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says “many factors can increase the risk for suicide or protect against it. Suicide is connected to other forms of injury and violence. For example, people who […]
A month before its intended expiry date, the CDC eviction moratorium was suspended by the Supreme Court, leaving tenants vulnerable to homelessness. Over 11 million renters have had trouble paying rent on time during the pandemic as unemployment blanketed the nation. The temporary halt on evictions did not absolve renters from the responsibility of paying the entirety of their owed […]
Healthy students are better learners. With medical coverage such as CHIP and Medicaid, students are more likely to attend school and earn higher grades. Many children, including the millions uninsured in Texas have difficulty accessing quality health care. The pandemic has established a new reality that education and health care are linked. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention […]
Richard, 64, and his siblings, inherited the father’s home in 2018 along with roughly $9000 in past due property taxes including penalties and interest. After their father’s passing, Richard moved into the home, maintaining the property and paying the bills which included making payments towards the taxes. When the Covid pandemic hit, Richard had trouble keeping up with the payments and with the threat of foreclosure looming, he sought relief in the form of a loan to pay […]
Having high quality, affordable health coverage is beneficial for children and their families. With children heading back to school in August, coverage will help parents can rest easy knowing their children can get the routine preventive care that keeps them healthy and the medical help they need if they get sick or injured. Healthy children are better prepared to succeed in school […]
A bias crime is one that is fully or partially motivated against a person’s ancestry, ethnicity, color, creed, national origin, immigration, citizenship status, race, religion, religious practice, disability, gender, marital status, age or sexual orientation is considered a bias crime, also known as a hate crime. Being prejudice or assuming an opinion about someone based on these factors can lead to fear, trauma, and other mental health issues for […]
On Thursday, July 15, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher hosted a Child Tax Credit roundtable to spread the word and inform local families about the impact of CTC, what to expect, and how to access it if they qualify. Staff attorney Adam Matlock, from our Low Income Taxpayer Clinic, attended as participant and local legal aid representative. Part of the American Rescue […]
In response to the recent developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has issued a new order to extend the eviction moratorium until October 3, 2021. The new order will “temporarily halt evictions in counties with heightened levels of community transmission” to prevent tenants from being evicted and help combat the rise of the Delta variant. […]
This Sunday, August 8, 2021, Lone Star Legal Aid is joining Sisters of Charity Church for an outreach event starting at 10 AM at the Brookdale Villages Apartments. We will be there to help enroll your children for Medicaid and CHIP benefits as well as answer any of your questions. If you are looking to enroll your children on-site, make sure you bring […]
Overview Each year at the end of July, we recognize World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. Trafficking is a serious crime and violation of human rights. Thousands of men, women and children fall into the hands of trafficking in their own countries and abroad. You can be a part of World Day Against Trafficking by jumpstarting the conversation to put an end to trafficking worldwide. With the widespread […]
In 2019, Lone Star Legal Aid (LSLA) Staff Attorney, Cheranda Robertson represented Samantha, a survivor of severe domestic violence and continual sexual assault from her husband Josh. When Robertson entered the case, the trial was in about a month and mediation resulted in a dead end. The property they shared consisted of three real estate properties, four vehicles, and personal effects. The couple came to California from Mexico in the 1980’s. They […]
Every year, thousands of Texans suffer damage to their homes and livelihoods because of natural disasters, namely hurricanes. There are many ways that you can prepare yourself to minimize the amount of loss sustained from hurricanes passing through the state. Every home should have an ample number of supplies in case of emergency. While gathering supplies, you should keep in […]
The American Rescue Plan (ARP) will lower health insurance for Texans struggling to make ends meet during the ongoing pandemic. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMD) encourages consumers who have received unemployment in 2021 to update their application or enrollment during the Special Enrollment Period that runs from July 1 and August 15, 2021. People who were approved to receive unemployment for any week in 2021 may be able to find lower […]
In December of 2020, Anita started a Medicaid application for her two children, ages 13 and 15, while her 13 year-old child was still in the hospital, not able to breathe after contracting COVID-19. Anita was awarded the Medicaid Spend Down Program for both of her sons which is awarded to help with medical payments. The children were denied regular Medicaid and CHIP benefits because, according to HHSC, Anita’s income was too high to qualify for either. Anita was confused as to […]
Michelle applied for services with Lone Star Legal Aid (LSLA) at the Spring Branch Family Development Center Outreach Enrollment Clinic in May 2021, as a minor, with her mother signing as her guardian. Michelle was 28 weeks pregnant at the time and needed health and nutritional benefits so she could regularly visit her doctor for pregnancy appointments and make sure […]
Having high quality, affordable health coverage is beneficial for children and their families. With children heading back to school in August, coverage will help parents rest easy knowing their children can get the routine preventive care that keeps them healthy and the medical help they need if they get sick or injured. Healthy children are better prepared to succeed in school and […]
Natalie Cochran sat down with Christian Pineda and Elizabeth Green to talk about the Connecting Texas Kids to Coverage Unit at Lone Star Legal Aid and how their work benefits the community. Listen here starting at 50:30.
Normally, tax relief for the year only comes the following year when you file your taxes, no matter how much you need it now. Many families are eligible to receive half of the Child Tax Credit for next year’s taxes as a monthly payment starting in July. For every child 6-17 years old, qualifying families will get $250 each month, […]