Legal aid groups and housing advocates say there simply aren’t enough lawyers to keep up with eviction filings.
Army Veteran Ronald Payne packs his belongings in preparation for an eviction due to paperwork issues on November 17, 2023, in Houston., a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.As more renters struggle to afford housing, Texas landlords are filing more evictions than they did before the COVID-19 pandemic — and tenants have few, if any, protections to keep them housed.
In a state with some of the country’s weakest protections for renters, lawmakers last year didn’t extend relief to tenants. Texas legislatorsof a $12.7 billion property tax-cut package that included $5.6 billion in direct relief for homeowners, though proponents of the legislation have argued the tax cuts landlords will see on their rental properties will trickle down to tenants.
There’s at least one bright spot for tenants. Before the pandemic, it was rare for tenants facing eviction to have a lawyer represent them in court. That’s still true, but it’s more common now to find legal aid lawyers offering free legal representation at justice of the peace courts, which hear eviction cases.
Some judges are taking additional steps to make sure tenants have a lawyer at their side when their case is heard. Judge Steve Duble, a Harris County justice of the peace, used part ofto hire a full-time employee to connect tenants when they arrive for their hearing with legal aid groups to see if they qualify for free legal representation. Duble said he hopes to eventually put tenants in touch with legal aid as soon as they receive their notice of eviction.