On August 24, 2022, the 46th Administration officially announced a final extension to student loan payments and forgiveness for federal student loan debt of up to $20,000. In the month since, more information has been provided to explain who qualifies and how to claim relief. Student loan payments can be deferred until December 31, 2022. Payments will resume in January […]
As a nonprofit legal aid, Lone Star Legal Aid assists the needs of underserved communities. Our goal is not only to represent our clients, but also educate and inform them on the inner workings of the legal system. Those facing legal challenges for the first time may only understand the courtroom as it’s portrayed in the media, film, or television. […]
Jerry Thomas initially contacted Lone Star Legal Aid for a family law matter. In the middle of his case, he also found himself at risk of a groundless eviction and asked if LSLA could get involved. Thomas is a blind, disabled veteran living on social security disability as his sole source of income. His landlord requires rent payments be made […]
Jane Fields was a tenant at the same apartment complex for eleven years. Like most Texans, she was unprepared for the obstacles the pandemic created, and often, she felt like she was a paycheck away from homelessness. Remaining hopeful, she eventually obtained assistance from Texas Rent Relief, which sent money for past due rent directly to her landlord. These funds […]
Janelle Grant, a US Air Force Veteran, ended her duty and started working at a medical temp agency shortly thereafter. Ms. Grant had to take a leave of absence due to medical conditions complicating her pregnancy. Her employers knew of her pregnancy and its induced medical conditions. Once she was back at work, she was sent out on a brief […]
Like most college students, Janet and her friends sought affordable housing near the University of Houston to alleviate the financial and mental stress of being commuters. The four ladies found a house near campus rented by a private landlord and excitedly signed a one-year lease. However, within months of moving in, the maintenance requests had begun to pile up. The […]
Updated February 15, 2023 Freeport, TX – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties is evaluating the complaint submitted by Lone Star Legal Aid on behalf of residents living in the East End of Freeport, Texas in November 2017. The administrative complaint alleges violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 […]
The IRS will officially begin tax season on Monday, January 24th. There have been some changes to tax-filing season this year, and you can get ahead by learning what will be expected of you. In 2021, the IRS was inundated with calls about filing extensions, unemployment, and stimulus checks, so this year they have provided free help options to taxpayers. […]
As of January 1, 2022, veterans who receive 100% disability compensation are eligible for a new homestead tax exemption. What is a homestead exemption? Homestead exemptions remove part of your home’s value from taxation, so they lower your taxes. For example, your home is appraised at $100,000, and you qualify for a $25,000 exemption (this is the amount mandated for […]
Devoted uncle Justin Gillis became involved in a court action with his sister’s children. Their mother and father lost legal and custodial rights in New York City due to several allegations of neglect and abuse. Thus, a New York order placed the children with Mr. Gillis’ mother; the court order allowed the parents visitation rights at the discretion and under […]
In unprecedented times like these, pro bono work becomes integral to providing assistance for underprivileged clients facing a plethora of legal issues in light of the pandemic. We recognize the hard work of our pro bono volunteers and attorneys, and thank them for their dedication and generosity to their service. During the last week of October, Lone Star Legal Aid […]
Nova Carmona married her spouse in 2008 and separated from him a year later upon finding out he was cheating. After over a decade of separation, Ms. Carmona decided to officially divorce her husband after finding out he had been cheating. Being a mother of six children — three with disabilities — she did not want to lose the direly […]
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 […]
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 […]
When Hurricane Harvey struck Texas in 2017, our offices were shut down and employees were urged to evacuate and stay safe. As 60 inches of rainwater swept through streets of Houston, plumes of smoke had engulfed our main office downtown. The flooding had caused an electric explosion within the building, which quickly escalated into a fire. Employees fretfully kept an […]
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. […]
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 Port Arthur Community Action Network and Lone Star Legal Aid are hosting an event for community members on Saturday, June 26 and would like to invite you and your family to attend! PACAN will be providing gift cards to those who were in any way affected by the February winter storm*** and free indoor air monitors to all attendees. The event […]