Texas Access to Justice Foundation Awards More than $1.5 Million in Emergency Funds

Texas Access to Justice Foundation Awards More than $1.5 Million in Emergency Funds to Help Those Impacted by Hurricane Harvey

by Betty Balli Torres, Executive Director, TAJF Within days of Hurricane Harvey hitting the Texas Gulf Coast, the Texas Access to Justice Foundation anticipated the desperate legal needs of thousands of Texans with a storm of this magnitude and created the Hurricane Harvey Legal Aid Fund. Donations came in from across the state, and from across the country; including persons previously affected by hurricanes, to legal aid workers in other states. The Fund received approximately $200,000 in individual and firm donations, and more than 2,400 lawyers, paralegals, and law students offered their volunteer services.

Photo Credit: Lone Star Legal Aid

On September 1, the Foundation provided emergency grant awards of $300,000 to six impacted grantees to address immediate needs and office property damage resulting from Hurricane Harvey. Lone Star Legal Aid in Houston suffered a compounded tragedy when their downtown Houston office caught fire, damaging their building infrastructure and equipment, displacing over 90 staff, and causing the loss of the entire IT network for a week.

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Legal aid lawyers and pro bono volunteers soon went to work helping those displaced in disaster recovery centers. Thousands have already received help from legal aid with short-term needs like securing FEMA and other benefits, filing health and property insurance claims, replacing important lost documents, and assisting in housing issues related to mortgages, foreclosures, and landlord/tenant problems.

At its October meeting, the Foundation Board of Directors approved the distribution of $1.5 million in emergency funds to legal aid organizations in areas impacted by Hurricane Harvey. These funds will help provide a range of civil legal services for low-income Texans impacted by the hurricane. We expect the funding needs for civil legal services to be substantial in the Gulf Coast area for several years.

So far, FEMA has received almost 900,000 applications from Texas residents. We anticipate almost 11,000 of those FEMA applicants will apply for help from legal aid. This caseload will require approximately 50 full-time staff attorneys and 20 intake and paralegal staff. The projected 2017-18 budget needed for legal aid to serve this many disaster survivors amounts to $6,428,415. And this is just for year one. The 2018-19 and 2019-20 projections are nearly $3.7 million and more than $2.7 million, respectively.

The rebuilding and recovery process is long for those directly impacted by Harvey.

Within six months, and lasting for several years after the event, lawyers can assist those facing legal issues such as foreclosures, bankruptcies, defending FEMA recoupment, applying for disaster tax relief, and disputing home-damage valuations. As of Dec. 15, there are still 24 Disaster Recovery Centers in 23 Texas counties where legal aid staff helps those with questions and concerns.

Many of our fellow Texans have suffered greatly in 2017 due to Hurricane Harvey and its aftermath. As their legal problems become more complex and increasingly frustrating, many will turn to legal aid for help. To help bring hope to storm victims in 2018, contribute to the ongoing Hurricane Harvey Legal Aid Fund at, http://www.teajf.org/donate/hurricane_harvey_legalaid.aspx.

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