October 14, 2021 by Clarissa Ayala
Wells Fargo Funds Housing Stability Program for Low-Income Renters in Harris County
Topic
Press Releases
Houston, Texas – Lone Star Legal Aid has been awarded a $500,000 grant from Wells Fargo Foundation to support the Housing Stability for Low-Income Renters in Harris County Program. With these funds, we will help renters and their families fight eviction, prevent homelessness, and gain housing stability.
With Wells Fargo’s help, we will cover legal issues like nonpayment of rent, unfair/illegal eviction practices, termination notices, holding over beyond the rental term, utility cut-offs, and lock-outs, as well as moratorium violations that occurred while it was still in effect nationwide.
“The economic fallout of COVID-19 has caused housing instability for far too many renters, and Wells Fargo believes supporting organizations that provide legal assistance, housing counseling, and other housing support is an important step in helping people avoid eviction, which is often the first step toward additional financial and housing instability,” says Eileen Fitzgerald, head of housing affordability philanthropy at Wells Fargo. Read Wells Fargo’s press release here.
Another method of ensuring housing stability is to make renters who are past due on their rent – whole again. The Texas Rent Relief program offers just that. We can help renters apply for rent, utilities, and home energy financial assistance going as far back as March 2020.
“The generosity of Wells Fargo will help meet the enormous demand for housing stability and equal access to justice for all,” says Jon-Ross Trevino, Managing Attorney of the Houston Housing and Consumer Division.
As a whole, our Houston Housing and Consumer Unit handles various legal issues, including:
- Public and subsidized Housing Issues
- Foreclosure prevention and defense
- Eviction defense
- Utility shutoffs
- Code enforcement
- Property tax issues on home
- Discrimination based on race, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, age, disability, sexual orientation, or family size
- Contract for Deed abuses
- Landlord breach of duty to repair
- Predatory lending issues
- Title issues
- Fraud or deceptive trade practices
- Warranties or breaches of contract
- Debt collection abuses and collection defense
- Unlawful repossessions
- Rent-to-own abuses
- Bankruptcy
- Predatory Lending
- Public utility access
- Student financial aid program abuses and collection defense
Tenants facing eviction can apply for free legal help by visiting our website at https://www.lonestarlegal.org by calling 1-800-733-8394.
Lone Star Legal Aid is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit law firm focused on advocacy for low-income and underserved populations. Lone Star Legal Aid serves millions of people at 125% of federal poverty guidelines that reside in 72 counties in the eastern and Gulf Coast regions of Texas, and 4 counties of southwest Arkansas. Lone Star Legal Aid focuses its resources on maintaining, enhancing, and protecting income and economic stability; preserving housing; improving outcomes for children; establishing and sustaining family safety and stability, health and well‐being; and assisting populations with special vulnerabilities, like those with disabilities, or who are elderly, homeless, or have limited English language skills. To learn more about Lone Star Legal Aid, visit our website at https://www.lonestarlegal.org.
Media contact: Media@LoneStarLegal.org
