News and stories about our work advancing civil legal rights for low-income Texans.
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Texas Legal Aid Providers Offer Housing Resources During Coronavirus Pandemic As a new month approaches, many people across Texas are still reeling from the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic and are struggling to make rent. The Texas Supreme Court issued its 12th emergency order extending the statewide eviction trial moratorium to help Texans unable to pay their rent. This order […]
April 22, 2020 marks the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, celebrated worldwide annually since 1970. Earth Day began as a grassroots movement to raise awareness about our shared dependence on the earth’s environment for our lives and health, and our shared responsibility to protect it. Earth Day sparked the establishment of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and saw the […]
Community members have a unique voice when it comes to commenting on large infrastructure projects which can impact community health, safety, and livelihoods. The public comment process provides an opportunity for community members to share their personal experiences and concerns about a potential project undergoing the environmental review process under the National Environmental Policy Act. In the following video presentation, LSLA […]
Who is eligible? U.S. residents will receive the Economic Impact Payment of $1,200 for individual or head of household filers, and $2,400 for married filing jointly if they are not a dependent of another taxpayer and have a work-eligible Social Security number with adjusted gross income (AGI) up to: $75,000 for individuals $112,500 for the head of household filers and […]
Texas residents anticipate receiving their Federal Stimulus payments after the federal government passed the CARES Act. With Texans expecting to receive upwards of $1,200.00 there was concern about debt collectors and their ability to freeze consumers’ bank accounts. The Texas Supreme Court issued its 10th Emergency Order to stop most actions to collect consumer debt until May 7, 2020. I […]
One week in April every year is reserved for recognizing crime victims and their rights. A national focus on crime victims dates back to 1965 and since then has strengthened federal legislation, court decisions, government action, and programs when working with crime victims. The week-long campaign promotes victim’s rights and those who advocate on their behalf. Raising awareness on crime […]
Administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), WIC is a federally funded program to provide nutrition benefits, education, supplemental food, breastfeeding support, and referrals to healthcare and social services to at-risk pregnant and postpartum women, infants and children up to the age of five. With the recent passage of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act to COVID-19, WIC received […]
Common questions related to eviction in Texas during the COVID-19 pandemic. I heard that Landlords weren’t allowed to evict people in Texas right now. Is this true? Yes and No. A landlord may file in court to evict you right now but courts cannot hold a hearing to decide the matter until after April 30, 2020. In other words, you […]
April is the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Fair Housing Month. The goal of the month is to educate the public on specific housing issues so that if they are facing them, they can seek help. Why April? On April 11, 1968, President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1968 and Title VIII of that law is known […]
Houston, TX – Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia, Texas State Senator Carol Alvarado, and Harris Country Judge Lina Hidalgo are hosting a Spanish language Townhall on Wednesday evening at 7 pm. The Townhall will be moderated by Raul Peimbert of Univision’s Noticias 45 Houston and will focus on Coronavirus, particularly for Latino and immigrant communities at the Federal, State and County level. […]
Unemployment Benefits and Paid Leave Part of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act and the Emergency Family Medical Leave Act are currently being established through the U.S. Department of Labor to help U.S. workers who have lost their jobs or cannot work for reasons related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The new laws support U.S. […]
All thirty days in April are devoted to Sexual Assault Awareness and are advocated around the world to raise awareness about sexual violence and educate communities on how to prevent it. Talking about sexual assault helps end the stigma and with continuing support, we can all decrease the amount of sexual assaults that occur every year. Now is the time […]
As many of you are aware, many counties in Texas have issued stay-at-home or shelter in place orders. As a result, parents might be wondering how that affects co-parenting their children. These are the top questions we are receiving right now. What about the court-ordered visitation in place for my family? How will pick up and drop off of my […]
Lunch Is Served! As of March 19, 2020, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Governor Abbott declared all schools in Texas temporarily closed. To assist Texas families while schools are closed, meals are available for take-home at no cost to all children through participating school districts. Visit https://txschools.gov/ to find a food distribution site near you. HISD food distribution sites re-opened […]
PRICE GOUGING What if I have been a victim of price gouging? According to a news release published by the Texas Attorney General, “any person or business selling goods must be aware that they are prohibited by law from engaging in price gouging if they unreasonably raise the cost of necessary supplies at any point during a declared disaster,” said […]
A reverse mortgage is a special type of home loan that lets you convert a portion (or all) of the equity in your home into cash. Only people over age 62 or older can get a reverse mortgage. The difference between a reverse mortgage and a traditional home loan – is that borrowers don’t have to pay it back. How […]
Austin, TX – 90 year old retired nurse, Louise Moore, is relieved that her Medicaid and SNAP benefits will continue after office closures prevented her from getting her recertification documents in on time. Ms. Moore worked as a nurse for over 30 years starting Panora General Hospital, then going to Nacogdoches Memorial Hospital before ending her career as a charge […]
If there is a universal language everyone speaks, it’s money, and the lack of it is a familiar and ever-present obstacle for most people. In the United States, borrowing money is all but inevitable if you want a car, a house, tuition money, or even something as simple as a mattress. Credit is not only helpful but necessary in the […]
The outbreak and alarming spread of the Coronavirus is causing added stress and financial instability for many families around the world. This can cause an increase in domestic and sexual violence seen in abusive partners. The idea of social distancing is to flatten the curve of the rising number of COVID-19 positive cases and eliminate the spread of the virus. […]
Overview The Coronavirus outbreak is a global pandemic spreading fast causing panic among Americans as the outbreak kills more and more people each day. People are becoming wary of the severity and fear for their lives and the lives of others. Unfortunately, the chaos and disparity circulating the Coronavirus has caused people to fall victim to many scams which result […]