News and stories about our work to protect and advance the civil legal rights of low-income Texans.
Mariah married her military husband Sean and raised two children together, and one from Sean’s previous relationship beginning when the child was two years-old. This child is now a teenager, and recently, he came out as transgender and said he wanted to go by Calvin. Mariah was working hard to provide Calvin with all the support he needed while transitioning. […]
At 12 years old, Mara was diagnosed with a rare disease, Takayasu Arteritis, which left her unable to walk. She was told she would be disabled for the rest of her life. At 20 years-old, the Social Security Administration (SSA) determined her diagnosed conditions were not severe enough to warrant a finding of disability, and Mara was denied Social Security […]
Jim Bradson is a Navy veteran who relies solely on his Social Security Retirement (SSR) income. During the pandemic, he became indebted to four companies, including the e-commerce company, PayPal. Bradson was already in settlement repayment with the other three companies when he received notice that PayPal sold his debt to a collections company, which then filed a lawsuit. Bradson […]
Along with the joys of parenthood comes, historically, the balancing act between work and home life responsibilities, whether it’s a household of two parents or one. When the scales are balanced, you should hope all goes smoothly. But when resources are limited, a family emergency can tip the scales. The choice between essentials like food, utilities, healthcare, safety, and shelter […]
Jane Smith met her boyfriend Jack in Texas in 2017 through his family, who committed various crimes against her, including assault and stalking. Jack promised he would protect her from his family, so they began dating, marking the beginning of a tumultuous relationship that spanned over four years. No different from the rest of his family, Jack showed himself to […]
During exactly four years of marriage, Tiffany endured tragic physical, financial, and emotional abuse. It started on their honeymoon cruise when her husband Aaron smashed her head into the sink of their cabin. She encountered another night where Eric beat her up so badly, dragged her by her hair out in the yard, and left her on the street throughout […]
Doctors diagnosed Joseph with Progressive Glaucoma, which is an eye condition that causes damage to the optic nerve resulting in permanent vision loss. He was told his eyesight would gradually fade over several years until he was blind, but little did he know he would be involved in an accident that would dramatically change his life sooner than he thought. […]
Doctors diagnosed Joseph with Progressive Glaucoma, which is an eye condition that causes damage to the optic nerve resulting in permanent vision loss. He was told his eyesight would gradually fade over several years until he was blind, but little did he know he would be involved in an accident that would dramatically change his life sooner than he thought. […]
Jerry Thomas initially contacted Lone Star Legal Aid for a family law matter. In the middle of his case, he also found himself at risk of a groundless eviction and asked if LSLA could get involved. Thomas is a blind, disabled veteran living on social security disability as his sole source of income. His landlord requires rent payments be made […]
Jane Fields was a tenant at the same apartment complex for eleven years. Like most Texans, she was unprepared for the obstacles the pandemic created, and often, she felt like she was a paycheck away from homelessness. Remaining hopeful, she eventually obtained assistance from Texas Rent Relief, which sent money for past due rent directly to her landlord. These funds […]
Janelle Grant, a US Air Force Veteran, ended her duty and started working at a medical temp agency shortly thereafter. Ms. Grant had to take a leave of absence due to medical conditions complicating her pregnancy. Her employers knew of her pregnancy and its induced medical conditions. Once she was back at work, she was sent out on a brief […]
Like most college students, Janet and her friends sought affordable housing near the University of Houston to alleviate the financial and mental stress of being commuters. The four ladies found a house near campus rented by a private landlord and excitedly signed a one-year lease. However, within months of moving in, the maintenance requests had begun to pile up. The […]
Gregory, a Houston father, contracted COVID-19 and then his family’s life took a turn for the worst. Gregory lost his job due to contracting the virus, his landlord illegally locked the entire family of their home for not being able to come up with enough money to pay the rent, and they had no medical coverage. Gregory could not work […]
Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) has 30 days to act on a client’s SNAP benefits application and 45 days to act on Medicaid cases. Jack was referred to Lone Star Legal Aid by BakerRipley and needed SNAP benefits for a household of four people. Jack submitted an initial SNAP application on February 8, 2022, and after 80 days, […]
Kacey was well in her pregnancy when her aunt promised to help her and her boyfriend Trevor with their new child. They were excited to have a nurturing home to bring their child home to. After Kacey and Trevor moved into her aunt’s house, Trevor began getting close to her cousin Juliana. Juliana was not even a teenager at the […]
Crime Victims’ Rights Week is an annual week-long campaign in April that celebrates the accomplishments of the victim’ rights movement. According to the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), “National Crime Victims’ Rights Week has challenged the nation to confront and remove barriers to achieving justice for all victims of crime.” This year’s theme is rights, access, equity, for […]
Being verbally and physically abused is a difficult affliction to tolerate. Being stalked and not knowing when your stalker just might show up is even worse. It causes fear and takes a mental toll on the survivor. For Cody, it was just that. Cody met Delilah in high school, but their romantic affairs did not take off until they reunited […]
41 year old Kate Chavez is physically disabled and receives Social Security Disability (“SSD”). In many cases, individuals who receive SSD are not required to file an income tax return. The amount they receive determines whether they have to file. The amount of Kate’s SSD fell under the reporting threshold, and it wasn’t necessary for her to file. When she […]
Chester Robey is a 92 year old veteran of both WWII and the Korean War. He is mostly blind, mostly deaf, and has Parkinson’s, which makes it difficult for him to walk and write. His only income is Social Security, and he relies on the assistance of a neighbor to help him get around. Mr. Robey contacted our Military and […]
Cheryl Wilson is a single mother of an eight-year-old disabled daughter. She works 21 hours per week while her daughter is in school. Her daughter receives Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits because of her disability. To help with the cost of food for her family, Cheryl applied for SNAP benefits. Since she was only working 21 hours, and SNAP applicants […]