Pro Bono News

Legal Aid for Low-Income Texans Cut Under Proposed 2019 White House Budget

Friday, February 23, 2018

Legal Aid for Low-Income Texans Cut Under Proposed 2019 White House Budget

"AUSTIN (KXAN) – Connie Castillo and Jeanette Bell live in different parts of Texas, but both share a similar feeling: If it wasn’t for civil legal aid services coming to their help, they don’t know what they would do.

“It put me into a panic attack,” Castillo said. “I had no idea – I was just totally shaken to the core.”

Castillo, who lives in Houston, is currently dealing with an eviction case. She and other people living in her complex were given a five-day notice to vacate several weeks after Hurricane Harvey. Lone Star Legal Aid filed a lawsuit on behalf of more than 20 people in the same complex, saying the apartments their clients lived in only suffered minor damage.

“It was like, ‘what am I going to do?” Castillo said. “Where am I going to go?”

The case is set for trial next month. Bell’s situation also deals with a housing issue. She was close to losing her home to foreclosure, but attorneys from Legal Aid of Northwest Texas helped her through the process to save the house..."

Continue reading