Latest News

Suicide in the United States is at an alarming rate, so high that it is one of the leading causes of death in our country. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says “many factors can increase the risk for suicide or protect against it. Suicide is connected to other forms of injury and violence. For example, people who […]

A month before its intended expiry date, the CDC eviction moratorium was suspended by the Supreme Court, leaving tenants vulnerable to homelessness. Over 11 million renters have had trouble paying rent on time during the pandemic as unemployment blanketed the nation. The temporary halt on evictions did not absolve renters from the responsibility of paying the entirety of their owed […]

Houston, Texas – We are celebrating our 1-year anniversary of The Safe Space with a video montage of the past 12 episodes. The Safe Space is a live-streaming video outreach series aimed at providing survivors of sexual assault with free legal information and resources.  Sexual violence can have an immediate and devastating effect on the survivor in nearly every aspect […]

Healthy students are better learners. With medical coverage such as CHIP and Medicaid, students are more likely to attend school and earn higher grades. Many children, including the millions uninsured in Texas have difficulty accessing quality health care. The pandemic has established a new reality that education and health care are linked. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention […]

When Hurricane Harvey struck Texas in 2017, our offices were shut down and employees were urged to evacuate and stay safe. As 60 inches of rainwater swept through streets of Houston, plumes of smoke had engulfed our main office downtown. The flooding had caused an electric explosion within the building, which quickly escalated into a fire.  Employees fretfully kept an […]

The 85-Year-Old Oxbow Petroleum Coke Plant in Port Arthur is One of the Largest Sources of Sulfur Dioxide Pollution in the State EMBARGOED for Release: 10 am CST, Wednesday, August 18, 2021 Media Contacts: Clarissa Ayala, Communications Director at Lone Star Legal Aid, (832) 627-8404 or cayala@lonestarlegal.org Ari Phillips, Environmental Integrity Project, (505) 629-6148, aphillips@environmentalintegrity.org Note to TV reporters and […]

Richard, 64, and his siblings, inherited the father’s home in 2018 along with roughly $9000 in past due property taxes including penalties and interest. After their father’s passing, Richard moved into the home, maintaining the property and paying the bills which included making payments towards the taxes. When the Covid pandemic hit, Richard had trouble keeping up with the payments and with the threat of foreclosure looming, he sought relief in the form of a loan to pay […]

Having high quality, affordable health coverage is beneficial for children and their families. With children heading back to school in August, coverage will help parents can rest easy knowing their children can get the routine preventive care that keeps them healthy and the medical help they need if they get sick or injured.  Healthy children are better prepared to succeed in school […]

A bias crime is one that is fully or partially motivated against a person’s ancestry, ethnicity, color, creed, national origin, immigration, citizenship status, race, religion, religious practice, disability, gender, marital status, age or sexual orientation is considered a bias crime, also known as a hate crime. Being prejudice or assuming an opinion about someone based on these factors can lead to fear, trauma, and other mental health issues for […]

On Thursday, July 15, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher hosted a Child Tax Credit roundtable to spread the word and inform local families about the impact of CTC, what to expect, and how to access it if they qualify. Staff attorney Adam Matlock, from our Low Income Taxpayer Clinic, attended as participant and local legal aid representative.  Part of the American Rescue […]

In response to the recent developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has issued a new order to extend the eviction moratorium until October 3, 2021. The new order will “temporarily halt evictions in counties with heightened levels of community transmission” to prevent tenants from being evicted and help combat the rise of the Delta variant.  […]

This Sunday, August 8, 2021, Lone Star Legal Aid is joining Sisters of Charity Church for an outreach event starting at 10 AM at the Brookdale Villages Apartments.   We will be there to help enroll your children for Medicaid and CHIP benefits as well as answer any of your questions. If you are looking to enroll your children on-site, make sure you bring […]

Overview  Each year at the end of July, we recognize World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. Trafficking is a serious crime and violation of human rights. Thousands of men, women and children fall into the hands of trafficking in their own countries and abroad. You can be a part of World Day Against Trafficking by jumpstarting the conversation to put an end to trafficking worldwide.  With the widespread […]

In 2019, Lone Star Legal Aid (LSLA) Staff Attorney, Cheranda Robertson represented Samantha, a survivor of severe domestic violence and continual sexual assault from her husband Josh. When Robertson entered the case, the trial was in about a month and mediation resulted in a dead end. The property they shared consisted of three real estate properties, four vehicles, and personal effects.  The couple came to California from Mexico in the 1980’s. They […]

Every year, thousands of Texans suffer damage to their homes and livelihoods because of natural disasters, namely hurricanes. There are many ways that you can prepare yourself to minimize the amount of loss sustained from hurricanes passing through the state. Every home should have an ample number of supplies in case of emergency. While gathering supplies, you should keep in […]

The American Rescue Plan (ARP) will lower health insurance for Texans struggling to make ends meet during the ongoing pandemic. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMD) encourages consumers who have received unemployment in 2021 to update their application or enrollment during the Special Enrollment Period that runs from July 1 and August 15, 2021. People who were approved to receive unemployment for any week in 2021 may be able to find lower […]

In December of 2020, Anita started a Medicaid application for her two children, ages 13 and 15, while her 13 year-old child was still in the hospital, not able to breathe after contracting COVID-19. Anita was awarded the Medicaid Spend Down Program for both of her sons which is awarded to help with medical payments. The children were denied regular Medicaid and CHIP benefits because, according to HHSC, Anita’s income was too high to qualify for either. Anita was confused as to […]

Michelle applied for services with Lone Star Legal Aid (LSLA) at the Spring Branch Family Development Center Outreach Enrollment Clinic in May 2021, as a minor, with her mother signing as her guardian. Michelle was 28 weeks pregnant at the time and needed health and nutritional benefits so she could regularly visit her doctor for pregnancy appointments and make sure […]

Some people who are separated or have recently been divorced have been facing unique issues accessing Covid-19 recovery aid being provided through the IRS, namely the economic impact/stimulus payments and the soon-to-be deposited advance child tax credit payments. The first two Economic Impact payments were distributed based on information from 2018 to 2019 returns, and the third payment was calculated […]

Having high quality, affordable health coverage is beneficial for children and their families. With children heading back to school in August, coverage will help parents rest easy knowing their children can get the routine preventive care that keeps them healthy and the medical help they need if they get sick or injured.  Healthy children are better prepared to succeed in school and […]