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, […]
Houston, Texas – Lone Star Legal Aid is hosting a Facebook Live event on Thursday, December 10, 2020, at 12:00 PM CST to discuss the Center for Disease Control and Prevention order preventing eviction for the remainder of 2020. As the end of the year rounds the corner, Texas tenants are anxious about their rights in eviction cases. The federal […]
The Texas Disaster Legal Help project, a joint project of Lone Star Legal Aid, Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas, and Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, is hard at work, creating resources and integrating advanced technology, to ensure that volunteer attorneys are prepared to effectively respond to the legal needs of disaster survivors – before the next disaster occurs. In the coming […]
The Coastal Texas Study is a proposal from the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to spend approximately $20 billion to protect the Texas Gulf Coast from flooding during storms and from rising sea levels. Its impacts will be broad, and affect many aspects of life on the Gulf Coast. The US Army Corps of Engineers recently released a “Draft […]
Kamaria Chery is an active-duty soldier currently stationed at Fort Hood and the mother to a newborn son. When her son was only 5 months old, his father filed a family suit seeking to be named the Sole Managing Conservator for him. Chery was concerned because shortly before, she had reported him to the authorities at Fort Hood, and they […]
Elizabeth Villareal came to LSLA after being served with an eviction petition and having her water shut off for three weeks. She, her husband, and two daughters were struggling financially as a result of COVID-19; Elizabeth contracted COVID and lost her job as a result. By the time she had recovered, the business had gone under. Elizabeth’s landlord, who was […]
Need free or low-cost health insurance for your kids? Would you like assistance with applying for Food Stamps? Come to a free Lone Star Legal Aid enrollment clinic! Where: Spring Branch Family Development Center – Social Services Office 8575 Pitner Road Houston, TX 77080 When: Thursday, October 29th from 9 am – 2 pm Thursday, November 5th from 9 am […]
Many of the 1.5 million incarcerated people in the U.S. met the requirements for stimulus payments but only 85,000 of them were able to receive their checks before the action was reversed. Those who had been incarcerated as of March 27, 2020 were previously deemed ineligible by the IRS to receive their stimulus checks. However, the IRS is appealing to […]
With the nation beginning its economic recovery, the Texas Workforce Commission will reinstate work search requirements for those in need of unemployment benefits. Work search requirements have been suspended since March when the pandemic forced sweeping shutdowns. Although the COVID crisis is nowhere near resolved, employment opportunities have been steadily cropping up in Texas as the economy slowly adjusts. When […]
On June 12, Harris County officially sent out half of its $30 million Coronavirus relief fund to 44 community-based organizations. These organizations are tasked with dispersing the money to eligible residents and families to help pay for housing, childcare, food, electricity, and other essential needs. Residents of Harris County in need can apply to qualify for the second round of […]
Fort Bend County approved $19.5 million of funding to assist renters and landlords in paying rent, mortgage, and utilities during the Coronavirus pandemic. Funding for the County’s rental assistance program comes through the Federal CARES Act. The funding will be implemented in 3 phases of $6,500,000 each. Phase 1 will be from June-July, Phase 2 August-September, and Phase 3 October-November. […]
Late Wednesday night, on April 23, a wayward tornado tore through Onalaska, Texas in Polk County, leaving some dead, many injured, and even more destruction in its wake. The aftermath left many residents displaced and in dire need of help. Lone Star Legal Aid’s community partner, Red Cross, rushed to address the immediate needs of those affected by the storm, […]
On March 27, 2020, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). The CARES Act gave people with federally backed mortgages certain temporary protection from foreclosure. What is a federally backed mortgage under the CARES Act? A federally backed mortgage is a mortgage that is issued, purchased, or insured by one of the following government agencies: […]