News and stories about our work to protect and advance the civil legal rights of low-income Texans.
Lone Star Legal Aid is funded in part by Legal Services Corporation (LSC), the largest funder of civil legal aid for low-income Americans in the nation. By partnering with NORC at the University of Chicago, LSC has measured “the difference between the civil legal needs of low-income Americans and the resources available to meet those needs.” In their 2022 report, […]
Every May, the Administration for Community Living (ACL) leads the nation’s annual celebration of Older Americans Month (OAM). In 2022, ACL will focus on aging in place – how older adults can plan to stay in their homes and live independently in their communities for as long as possible. By 2040, more than 1 in 5 Texans is projected to […]
The Houston Legal Aid Clinic, later known as the Houston Legal Foundation, was established by the Houston Bar Association and Texas Southern University, among others. East Texas Legal Services was created due to local interest from multiple parties, including client groups in Nacogdoches and Tyler, members of the Nacogdoches County Bar Association, and to some degree, the Jefferson County Bar […]
April is Texas Giving Month, and East Texas Giving Day is April 27th! Now that Texas is opening back up and the pandemic is hopefully winding down, it is a great time to help East Texas Charities recover. “Giving Day is happening at a critical time for the nonprofit community,” said Holly McFarlin, Public Relations Director of East Texas Communities […]
The Federal Trade Commission’s National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW) is March 6-12, 2022. Looking to protect yourself from fraud, identity theft, and scams? Maybe you’re wondering about the best way to use credit, how to shop for a used car, or even how to prevent foreclosure or bankruptcy. NCPW is a time to help people understand their consumer rights. Texas […]
Are you behind on your mortgage or related expenses? The Texas Homeowners Assistance Fund Program (TXHAF) opened its application portal on Wednesday, March 2, 2022. TXHAF provides financial assistance to qualified Texas homeowners who have fallen behind on their mortgage and related expenses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. TXHAF will provide eligible homeowners with grants to pay past due mortgage payments, property taxes, insurance, and/or […]
World Day of Social Justice is an international day that recognizes the need to promote social justice, which includes efforts to tackle issues such as poverty, exclusion, gender inequality, unemployment, human rights, environmental justice, and social protections. The 2022 theme is Achieving Social Justice through Formal Employment. The focus is on the formalization of employment to reduce poverty and inequality. […]
Houston, TX – The City of Houston’s Super Neighborhood 48 (“SN48”), covering an area known as Trinity Gardens and Houston Gardens (“The Gardens”), through its attorneys at Lone Star Legal Aid, has filed a Title VI Civil Rights Administrative Complaint with the Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and U.S. Department of Housing and […]
In observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Lone Star Legal Aid will be closed. All offices will reopen on Tuesday, January 18th, 2022. Texans can still apply for free legal help online at www.lonestarlegal.org.
January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. Since 2010, the President has dedicated the month to raising awareness about the different forms of human trafficking, also known as modern slavery, and educating people about this crime and how to spot it. Texas is a hot spot for human trafficking in the United States. Its population is spread over […]
As of January 1, 2022, veterans who receive 100% disability compensation are eligible for a new homestead tax exemption. What is a homestead exemption? Homestead exemptions remove part of your home’s value from taxation, so they lower your taxes. For example, your home is appraised at $100,000, and you qualify for a $25,000 exemption (this is the amount mandated for […]
Lone Star Legal Aid Staff will present two sessions at the Legal Services Corporation’s Innovations in Technology Conference 2022 (ITC22). The ITC22 will be a fully virtual event beginning on January 12, 2022. The Innovations in Technology Conference grew out of LSC’s Technology Initiative Grant (TIG) Program, which seeks to expand access to justice by promoting technological innovations in legal services […]
Houston, TX – The No Surprises Act (NSA) establishes new federal protections against surprise medical bills. If you’ve ever received a surprise bill after a trip to an emergency room, after thinking it would be covered by insurance, it was due to something called balanced billing. Balance billing occurs when an insured patient receives care from a physician, hospital or […]
January is Poverty Awareness Month, a month-long initiative to raise awareness and call attention to the growth of poverty in America. We fight to end poverty by creating equity and opportunity. Throughout the month of January, we’ll be talking about how and why poverty continues to impact so many people. From housing and healthcare, to personal and family safety, we […]
Conroe, TX – Susan Soto, a staff attorney in our Conroe Branch Office, participated in the Houston Bar Association’s 25th Annual AIDS Outreach Holiday Adopt-a-Family Project last month. 85 law firms, legal departments and individual donors provided holiday gifts for 128 families in need. This includes a record 484 individuals (194 adults and 290 children), making it the HBA’s biggest […]
Lone Star Legal Aid wishes you and yours a Happy New Year. In observance of the holiday, Lone Star Legal Aid will be closed. All offices will reopen on Tuesday, January 4th, 2022. Texans can still apply for free legal help online at www.lonestarlegal.org.
Lone Star Legal Aid wishes you and yours a Merry Christmas. In observance of the holiday, Lone Star Legal Aid will be closed. All offices will reopen on Tuesday, December 28th, 2021. Texans can still apply for free legal help online at www.lonestarlegal.org.
Texas families with students who previously qualified for Pandemic Food Benefits (or the P-EBT Card) should check their balance for a recent rollout in funds for the summer of 2021. Eligible families should have already received $375 per child. These benefits act as SNAP benefits. Who is eligible? Children who are certified for free or reduced-price meals through the National […]
Port Arthur, Texas – John Beard, the President of PA-CAN (Port Arthur Community Action Network), a community group client of our Environmental Justice Team, is being recognized for his environmental advocacy with two 2021 Awards, the FracTracker Alliance’s 2021 Community Sentinel Award for Environmental Stewardship and the Climate Law Institute’s 2021 Rose Braz Award for Bold Activism. The Community Sentinel […]
Houston, TX – Following statewide guidance, public libraries are now open at 75% capacity. Masks are required to enter all government facilities. If you do not have a mask, the library will provide one free of charge. Aside from offering access to physical collections of books and movies to browse and check out, public libraries also offer computer access, printing […]