The Shriver Center on Poverty Law has announced the 47 fellows that have been selected to partake in the 2020 Racial Justice Institute, “a leadership program that equips and coordinates anti-poverty advocates to affirmatively advance racial equity.” Attorneys Ashea Jones and Deborah Concepcion will be representing Lone Star Legal Aid as they explore racial equity concepts that they can apply […]
The constant advancement of science, technology, and engineering has allowed for global progress, but our planet has endured the less favorable consequences of the process. With each passing day, our duty to preserve and protect the Earth grows. Though every day should present the opportunity to practice environmentally conscious and mindful behavior, April 22nd has served as the official Earth […]
The recent extension of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s eviction moratorium is often interpreted as a sign that evictions will come to a screeching halt. However, the more realistic outcome has been that landlords and property owners have used plenty of legal methods to circumvent the order. While these owners often have the necessary resources to hire […]
Mr. William Wright is an honorably discharged veteran who requires assistance from a roommate to get around. He contacted Lone Star Legal Aid to seek help to obtain the property he owned and had lived on for the past twenty years, which was sold at an auction in Liberty County as part of a tax foreclosure sale in March 2020. […]
Houston, TX – Lone Star Legal Aid is honored to recognize two women that have received prestigious awards during Women’s History Month. Both of these women are making changes within the civil justice system to restore human dignity, heal broken lives, and enhance safety, civility, justice, and equity through their work. Sonia Lopez, Director of Innovative Planning at LSLA, was […]
We have a busy week of lives ahead of us aimed to provide a multitude of resources for Texas residents from several of our community partners. Tune in at www.facebook.com/LoneStarLegalAid to catch one of our presentations listed below. Tuesday, March 29, 2021 at 1:00 PMOur Military and Veterans Unit will be collaborating with Baylor Veterans’ Clinic to explain the difference between service […]
On March 11, the White House approved the $1.9 Trillion Virus Relief Bill. The bill includes: $1,400 checks $300/week jobless benefits $3B for mental health $14B for Department of Veterans Affairs $1,400/week in paid leave benefits $3,600 for child allowance $125B for K-12 schools $25B for rental assistance $25B for struggling restaurants $30B for public transit $14B for Covid-19 vaccinations, […]
Eric Allison is an honorably discharged Army veteran who has a four-year-old daughter named Marley with his former partner and two children from another relationship. Though he and his former partner had never been married, Mr. Allison is listed as the father on their daughter’s birth certificate. In June 2019, Mr. Allison’s partner was granted custodial rights and Mr. Allison […]
The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) is currently accepting applications for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) following February’s Winter Storm Uri. As of February 19, 2021, workers who have lost their jobs or self-employed individuals who haven’t been able to work due to damages from the storm may be eligible for DUA benefits. Am I eligible? If one of the following applies to […]
Following last week’s winter storm, many Texas consumers saw their wholesale electricity rates shoot up significantly, leaving them worried that their power would be disconnected if they were unable to make their utility payments. The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) has put in place several orders last Sunday that aim to protect Texans from utility disconnections for non-payment. In […]
In the aftermath of the Texas winter storm, which resulted in more snow than the state has seen since 1968, many Texans are desperately seeking help for the physical damage their homes have sustained. While this disaster has brought many communities together, it has also opened the doors to inevitable scams, like price gouging or home repair fraud. Scammers rely […]
The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) has recently received $1.3 billion in Emergency Rental Assistance funds from the newly passed Coronavirus Relief Bill Rental Assistance Program. TDHCA will use the funds to help renters in Texas pay both current and past due rent and utility bills. Applicants can require assistance for past due, current, and up to […]
Join Texas Disaster Legal Help (TDLH) for their new podcast on title clearing. Listen as Speaker Dina Hardwick delves into the effects of an uncleared title on a disaster survivor. Learn quick ways to clear the title without probate. Find out how to deal with manufactured homes transfers of ownership, and how to determine if the mobile home is personal […]
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Lone Star Legal Aid Communications department launched their virtual outreach program: a series of live discussions with community partners aimed at connecting with the Texas community to keep them informed on available services, changes and updates to government orders, and bring awareness to certain highlighted issues. One of our recurring virtual outreach efforts, […]
In January 2020, Marta Garcia and her family moved into an apartment complex in Livingston, Texas. Shortly upon their arrival, the family discovered that the stove wasn’t working and there was an infestation of centipedes and scorpions in the apartment. Concerned for the health and safety of her family, Mrs. Garcia made requests for repairs and extermination to the apartment […]
Lone Star Legal Aid’s virtual outreach program, which was initially started as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, has gained significant traction and flourished into a dynamic and effective tool accessible across multiple platforms for the general public. Included in our virtual outreach schedule is our recurring Law Talk Fridays: every Friday, one of our branches or units collaborates with […]
With the recent passage of an additional, second stimulus check, Americans are wondering when they will get their payments. Lone Star Legal Aid’s Low Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC) prepared answers to the most common stimulus-related questions they are receiving. What is the stimulus? Stimulus payments, also called Recovery Rebate or Economic Impact credits, allow eligible Americans the ability to claim […]
In observance of the new year, all Lone Star Legal Aid offices will be closed Thursday, December 31 and Friday, January 1. All offices will resume normal business hours on Monday, January 4 for online and telephone intakes. We wish you a happy new year and look forward to serving our community in 2021.
With at least 4 million Texans having filed for unemployment since the beginning of the pandemic, there has been a significant increase in eviction cases as well. Tenants and landlords have been awaiting an update on the federal moratorium on evictions. The moratorium has now been extended until June 30, 2021. The Texas Eviction Diversion Program launched in October. The […]
Linda Calhoun was supporting her three-year-old daughter on her salary from Luby’s, where she has worked for the last 14 years, with no help from the father. With the help of a roommate, Calhoun could pay all of her bills and live in a nice place close to work. However, like so many others, COVID-19 dealt Calhoun a heavy blow, […]