News and stories about our work to protect and advance the civil legal rights of low-income Texans.
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 […]
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 […]
The IRS announced yesterday that they were extending the amount of time Americans have to request their Economic Impact Payment (stimulus) to November 21, 2020. This applies to people who didn’t have to file a 2019 tax return, who didn’t get their payment or register for it. If you have already completed the non-filer portal but have not gotten your […]
Every October, the United States takes a stand against intimate partner violence in observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Advocates wear purple, survivors tell their stories, neighbors share their resources, and social media arranges an open forum for activists to educate the world. Join Lone Star Legal Aid this October in powering up against domestic violence. Domestic violence was a […]
Thanks to the generous support of the Legal Services Corporation, Lone Star Legal Aid (LSLA) is proud to announce two important online tools through the new Texas Disaster Legal Help portal to help Texans affected by Hurricane Harvey. Developed in partnership with Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas (LANWT) and Texas RioGrande Legal Aid (TRLA), these tools will be available statewide […]
This week’s Facebook Live virtual outreach schedule is jam-packed with information about resources from several of our community partners. Tune in at www.facebook.com/LoneStarLegalAid to catch one of our presentations listed below. Tuesday, September 29, 2020, at 1:00 PMOur Crime Victim’s Unit will talk with HPD’s Victim Services Department about resources for survivors of domestic abuse. Wednesday, September 30, 2020, at […]
Our Beaumont, Clute, and Galveston offices are closed today, Monday, September 21, 2020 due to inclement weather. This post will be updated throughout the day if more offices closures are necessary. Individuals may still apply for legal assistance over the phone at 1-800-733-8394 or online at www.lonestarlegal.org.
Have you suffered food loss because of Hurricane Laura? A news release from Governor Abbot says that SNAP (Food Stamp) recipients in Hardin, Jefferson, Newton, Orange, Sabine, San Augustine, Shelby, and Tyler counties will automatically receive replacement food stamp benefits. People in these counties have until September 30, to report other food loss and ask for benefits in addition to […]
Lone Star Legal Aid’s Individual Safety Unit has created The Safe Space, a virtual outreach series that will premier monthly to provide information and resources about sexual assault to survivors. Sexual violence can have an immediate and devastating effect on the survivor in nearly every aspect of their life, resulting in a need for survivor-centered and trauma-informed legal representation. Since […]
In observance of Labor Day, all Lone Star Legal Aid offices are closed today, Monday, September 7, 2020. All offices will reopen on Tuesday, September 8, 2020. Texans can still apply for free legal help online at http://www.lonestarlegal.org. Be careful and stay safe!
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an order on Tuesday, September 1, 2020, protecting low to moderate-income renters from eviction for nonpayment of rent throughout the remainder of 2020. The order’s eviction moratorium protects only renters who meet all of the following: The renter must expect to earn no more than $99,000 in annual income in 2020 […]
Houston, TX – Lone Star Legal Aid is working with a coalition of eviction defenders in partnership with Harris County and the City of Houston to offer a pilot program, the Eviction Right to Counsel Project, in certain jurisdictions – on a small scale. The coalition is comprised of Lone Star Legal Aid, Houston Volunteer Lawyers, South Texas College of […]
Houston, Texas – Lone Star Legal Aid is hosting a Facebook Live event on Wednesday, September 2, 2020, at 1:00 PM CST to discuss the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s order preventing eviction for the remainder of 2020. Leaders in their field, Dana Karni, manager of LSLA’s Eviction Right to Counsel Project, and Jon-Ross Trevino, manager of LSLA’s Houston […]
Houston, TX – Lone Star Legal Aid’s Dana Karni, Managing Attorney of the Eviction Right to Counsel unit, has been appointed to the Harris County and the City of Houston’s Housing Stability Task Force. With sixteen years’ experience, Ms. Karni’s practice covers cases in Justice of the Peace courts, state civil courts, and includes federal civil district court litigation on […]
August 17, 2020 is National Nonprofit Day and is a special day for nonprofits all over the world to celebrate their charitable endeavors to help others in their communities. This year is a different from all the rest because we are celebrating and recognizing each other virtually. These changing times during the pandemic haven’t interfered with Lone Star Legal Aid’s […]
Whether Lone Star Legal Aid offers advice to clients or gives them extended services, our team of attorneys, paralegals, social workers, and communicators work with the client to ensure equal access to justice, to provide emotional support and to let their voices be heard. Our stories of justice platform is a full page of real stories told by real clients […]
Purpose Each year at the end of July, the world recognizes World Day Against Trafficking and this year’s focus is on first responders. These are the people who work in different sectors such as identifying, supporting counseling and seeking justice for victims of trafficking. Trafficking is a serious crime and violation of human rights. Thousands of men, women and children […]
For tenants facing eviction, the Supreme Court of Texas issued its 20th Emergency Order on Tuesday, July 21, 2020. The order applies to rental properties covered by the CARES Act and requires landlords to make three statements about the rental property. First, the landlord must state that the tenant was provided with a 30 day Notice to Vacate. Failure to […]