News and stories about our work advancing civil legal rights for low-income Texans.
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Lone Star Legal Aid is pleased to announce LSLA CARES, a property research and documentation tool that will help tenants search the many public databases currently available to find out if your property is subject to the CARES Act. The CARES Act temporarily protects some renters from eviction for nonpayment of rent. It also stops late fees for rent for […]
LSLA will be hosting a chat with its community partner, The Jesse Tree, tomorrow afternoon on Facebook Live. Learn how the CARES Act provides protections to Texas tenants, stopping many landlords from going forward with evictions until August. Tune-in to our Facebook account @LoneStarLegalAid at 3 PM – Friday, May 22, 2020. Lone Star Legal Aid is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit law firm […]
Houston, TX – Lone Star Legal Aid announces a new grant provided by the Greater Houston COVID-19 Recovery Fund. This grant is made possible as a result of the United Way of Greater Houston and the Greater Houston Community Foundation, standing together to help support those impacted by COVID-19 and those who may be impacted in the future due to […]
Each year during the month of May, individuals and organizations join the national movement to raise awareness about mental health. By raising awareness, we can fight the stigma, provide support, and educate the public. Effect of crime on mental health Victimization can be a difficult and stressful experience. Getting back to normal after a crime can cause depression, anxiety, and […]
Updated July 1, 2020 The Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Texas Department of Agriculture, and the Texas Education Agency have created a new program to help parents of school-age children. WHAT IS IT? COVID P-EBT BENEFITS – A ONE TIME BENEFIT of $285 per child (like disaster food stamps), for people with school-age children on FREE OR REDUCED PRICE […]
All Lone Star Legal Aid offices will be closed on Monday, May 25, 2020, in observance of Memorial Day. All offices will reopen for telephone and online applications on Tuesday, May 26, 2020. Have a safe and joyous holiday!
Lone Star Legal Aid announces the launch of its Eviction HELP Project. This project is a self-guided tool that helps Texas renters to fight evictions during the COVID 19 Pandemic. Right now, thousands of renters across Texas are facing evictions. But there are protections for renters. The Eviction HELP Project helps eviction litigants prepare for court by giving renters legal […]
What Is The CARES Act? The CARES Act temporarily protects some renters from eviction for nonpayment of rent. It also stops late fees for rent from March 26, 2020 until July 25, 2020. Landlords cannot issue notices to vacate for nonpayment during this time. You still have to pay rent even if your home is covered by the CARES Act. […]
With some evictions allowed to start now, it’s important to understand who can and who cannot be evicted at this time. LSLA will be hosting a chat with its community partner, United Way of Matagorda County, tomorrow afternoon on Facebook Live. Learn how the CARES Act provides protections to Texas tenants, stopping many landlords from going forward with evictions until […]
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, […]
Have environmental laws changed during COVID-19? Yes, some temporary changes were recently made to both federal and state environmental policies in response to COVID-19. On March 26, 2020, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the agency’s exercise of its enforcement discretion for noncompliance due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The policy applies retroactively beginning on March 13, 2020. A seven-page […]
The Texas Supreme Court issued an order April 27, 2020, in effect until July 15, 2020, saying that for determining a person’s right to possession of and access to a child under a court-ordered possession schedule, the existing trial court order controls in all instances. Family Law experts from Lone Star Legal Aid’s Justice for Crime Survivors Project and Legal […]
On May 6, Houston City Council members approved a $15 million rental relief program to help landlords and renters make up for rent losses due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Funding for the City’s rental assistance program comes through the Federal CARES Act. The program will cover up to $1,056 per month in rent expenses for the months of April and […]
With the 2020 National Hurricane Preparedness Week wrapping up, Lone Star Leal Aid would like to share a different spin on other ways to be prepared for what is to come after the storm. It only takes one hurricane to ruin a community or a person’s life, but it can also only take one scammer to do the same. Do […]
You and your family’s personal safety comes first when preparing for a disaster. Disasters can take lives, homes, cars, as well as all of your personal belongings. Having your financial, medical, and identification information and documentation safe is vital to start the recovery process. Taking the time to protect these documents will save you from unnecessary stress following a disaster. […]
Lone Star Legal Aid is no stranger to disaster recovery. This National Preparedness Month, as the world endures the COVID-19 Pandemic, LSLA focuses on continuing its hurricane preparation education. While it’s important to prepare the physical structure of your home for the elements, it is also important to make sure that your property is ready legally so that you are […]
Rural TX – Lone Star Legal Aid was awarded a new grant from Texas Access to Justice Foundation to serve struggling Texans in rural communities. LSLA serves 47 designated rural counties and the remaining 25 counties are designated urban with rural areas. Many communities are long distances from LSLA offices, and they suffer from isolation, extreme poverty levels, no public […]
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: […]
Causing billions of dollars in damage annually, flooding is the biggest threat to property and lives during a hurricane or tropical storm. Storm surges can be deadly, and a hurricane’s drenching rains can have profound impacts on communities located further inland, even 100 miles from the coast. While you can never be sure whether your home will flood or not, […]
Clarissa Ayala | Communications Director Lone Star Legal Aid | 832-627-8404 | cayala@lonestarlegal.org Shelby Alexander | Communications Director | Texas RioGrande Legal Aid 512-374-2717 | salexander@trla.org Shelby Jean | Director of Communications | Legal Aid of Northwest Texas 817-339-5384 | jeans@lanwt.org Meghan Lee | Communications Manager | Texas Legal Service Center | 281-705-4973 | mlee@tlsc.org Houston, TX – Last week […]