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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 18, 2021 Media Contacts: Clarissa Ayala, Communications Director at Lone Star Legal Aid, (713) 652-0077 or cayala@lonestarlegal.org Colin Cox, Environmental Integrity Project (832) 316-0580 or ccox@environmentalintegrity.org Austin, Texas. –  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, on October 15, 2021, agreed to investigate whether Texas violated the civil rights of a mostly African-American community in Port Arthur by allowing dangerous amounts […]

This week, every eviction docket in Harris County will be staffed with legal services attorneys.  The Eviction Defense Coalition includes Lone Star Legal Aid, Houston Volunteer Lawyers, South Texas College of Law Houston, Thurgood Marshall School of Law’s Earl Car Institute, and the University of Houston Law Center. The Coalition’s mission is to provide an attorney to every tenant facing […]

For immediate release – In commemoration of National Pro Bono Week (October 25th – 29th), Lone Star Legal Aid honors the following with 2021 Tyler Branch Office Pro Bono Awards:  Leigh Hunt Goodson – Attorney of the Year, Smith County;  Cheryl Ann Wulf – Most Clients Assisted;  Pete Milne – Most Pro Bono Cases Litigated;  Tab Beall – Outstanding Commitment […]

There are 623,000 children without health insurance in Texas. Those who lack insurance coverage typically experience far worse health status than those insured. Uninsured children in Texas may get low-cost health care from the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) or no-cost health care from Children’s Medicaid. Lone Star Legal Aid (LSLA) has a dedicated team of lawyers and paralegals who […]

Houston, Texas – Lone Star Legal Aid has been awarded a $500,000 grant from Wells Fargo Foundation to support the Housing Stability for Low-Income Renters in Harris County Program. With these funds, we will help renters and their families fight eviction, prevent homelessness, and gain housing stability. With Wells Fargo’s help, we will cover legal issues like nonpayment of rent, […]

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) is providing almost $294 million in emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits starting in October, as the state continues its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The allotments are expected to help more than 1.4 million Texas households.     HHSC received federal approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to […]

The Covid-19 Pandemic has contributed to financial hardship, like job loss, lost wages, unforeseen medical expenses, evictions, and foreclosures, leaving many Americans in need of assistance. With the CDC Eviction Moratorium no longer in effect, protections for those evicted have been lifted, and millions are now facing homelessness. Homelessness is not synonymous with being unsheltered. Many people will move in […]

Each year, on October 10, individuals and organizations join the global movement to raise awareness about mental health. Since the Covid-19 pandemic emerged, mental health conditions have been rising across all demographics. By raising awareness, we can fight the stigma, provide support, and educate the public.  Since the beginning of the pandemic, the nation has witnessed a significant increase in […]

Lone Star Legal Aid is a strong supporter of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. In this blog, you will find common topics relevant to advocating for domestic violence survivors, such as safety planning and prevention for those who are or know anyone living with an abusive partner, knowing how to be safe while using the internet if you are in a […]

Tuesday, October 5, 2021 is National Night Out! NNO is an annual community-building campaign that enhances the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement. There are many events nationwide to support the cause, and you can find Lone Star Legal Aid participating in the event that will be hosted at the Emancipation Park in Houston, Texas from 6 PM to 8 […]

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 […]

HOUSTON/GALVESTON—Free legal resources are available to low-income individuals affected by flooding and other conditions created by Hurricane Nicholas. The State Bar of Texas’s toll-free disaster legal services hotline—800-504-7030—puts callers in touch with legal aid providers in their areas who can help with: Replacement of important legal documents lost or destroyed in the disaster; Life, medical, and property insurance claims; Home […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Houston, Texas – Our website has a new look and optimized features, thanks to Roni Lagin & Co. based out of Philadelphia, PA. Much like our Houston office’s renovation, the website has been redesigned to maximize the efficiency of our mission: providing resources and access to free civil legal assistance to low-income Texans. While there are many […]

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 […]

Houston, Texas – We are celebrating our 1-year anniversary of The Safe Space with a video montage of the past 12 episodes. The Safe Space is a live-streaming video outreach series aimed at providing survivors of sexual assault with free legal information and resources.  Sexual violence can have an immediate and devastating effect on the survivor in nearly every aspect […]

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 […]

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 […]

The 85-Year-Old Oxbow Petroleum Coke Plant in Port Arthur is One of the Largest Sources of Sulfur Dioxide Pollution in the State EMBARGOED for Release: 10 am CST, Wednesday, August 18, 2021 Media Contacts: Clarissa Ayala, Communications Director at Lone Star Legal Aid, (832) 627-8404 or cayala@lonestarlegal.org Ari Phillips, Environmental Integrity Project, (505) 629-6148, aphillips@environmentalintegrity.org Note to TV reporters and […]