News and stories about our work to protect and advance the civil legal rights of low-income Texans.
Overview Lone Star Legal Aid (LSLA) aims to protect and advance the civil legal rights of the millions of Texans living in poverty. Our advocacy efforts go beyond the courtroom. Every January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Awareness Month. This year, LSLA joins the awareness effort by educating the community on their rights, as well as providing information on […]
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 […]
Texas Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) offer parents peace of mind knowing their children can get the routine preventative care they need, when they need it, that keeps them healthy. These programs have been able to secure medical coverage benefits for more than 45 million children. While this progress is encouraging, there are still a substantial number […]
Overview 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 be able to get low-cost health care from 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 […]
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 […]
In 2018, there were over 65,000 victims reported in the United States totally $184 million in losses. These days, scammers are very clever with their tricks. Holiday crooks can spoil your celebrations when they steal your personal information. Seasonal deals are what we long for, but if they seem too good to be true, they probably are. The six top […]
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 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 […]
As the world continues to fight the spread of the coronavirus, domestic and family violence have intensified. To combat this increase, Lone Star Legal Aid (LSLA) has taken its outreach efforts online with targeted live presentations. LSLA provides virtual presentations for the community where attorneys and community partners provide legal information about the services they offer. The Safe Space, […]
Overview This month is Military Family Appreciation Month and while we recognize the military men and women who have served and are currently serving in the line of duty, we take the time to honor the heroes besides the hero; the family members. Military families oftentimes can become victims of targeted military family scams while the service member is away. […]
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 […]
Healthcare.gov is now open for enrollment, re-enrollment, or changes to your health plan! All enrollments, re-enrollments, and changes must be made by December 15, 2020. Please note this deadline is different for Medicare Part D. The Medicare Part D open enrollment period ends December 7, 2020. The Medicare plan in place December 8, 2020, will be the plan set for […]
Every year, Texas Veterans Legal Aid Week offers the opportunity for legal aid programs, bar associations, law schools, and more, to amplify awareness of civil legal aid available to veterans. This year, LSLA is excited to announce that it is part of the Texas Veterans Legal Coalition working with several other legal aid programs throughout the state to create educational […]
A pandemic in a pandemic After COVID-19 was declared a health crisis and a global pandemic, as a result, another silent pandemic was on the rise. As the virus has spread across the world affecting lives economically, socially, mentally, financially, physically, and academically, there are more stressors in place for domestic violence. There are studies that show there is an […]
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 […]
Texas legal aid providers collaborate on one-stop-shop to support Texas renters Millions of Texans are struggling to pay rent and face possible evictions. Stop TX Eviction, a new online portal, is a guide to help tenants understand their legal rights and the remedies available to keep them housed. A project of Texas’ three primary legal aid providers, Stop TX Eviction […]
Part II of Lone Star Legal Aid’s Domestic Violence Blog Series discusses listening to the voices of survivors and believing their stories. It’s important to be advocates for victims of domestic violence, but it is also essential to just listen as well. Sharing stories is a part of the October campaign which encourages the nation to mourn victims, celebrate survivors, […]
Since October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Lone Star Legal Aid will discuss common topics that are relevant to advocating for domestic violence victims. Part I highlights safety planning and prevention for those who are victims living with an abusive partner and may have children and/or pets. It is as equally important to know how to be safe while using […]
National Night Out was rescheduled in Texas to today, October 6, 2020, however, with COVID-19 still persisting and making social activities unsafe, the Houston Police Department (HPD) has officially postponed NNO city-wide and declared it will resume in 2021. Here is a statement from the Houston Police Department. “The Houston Police Department has decided to postpone our celebration of National […]