On April 10th, Houston Food Bank partnered with the Houston Eviction Advocacy Center and the Keep Harris Housed Coalition (of which we are a part) to host a lunch and learn about evictions. The discussion highlighted how evictions create a domino effect that leads to food insecurity and other hardships, and explored ways we can work together to provide real solutions for neighbors in crisis.
Harris County sees 76,000 eviction cases filed in a year, a rate that is among the highest in the nation. In fact, Houston’s eviction filing rate is nearly double that of New York City. One late or missed payment can result in an eviction filing, and for many families already experiencing financial hardship, hiring a lawyer to contest the filing is out of reach. Once an eviction is issued, it can follow renters around for the rest of their lives, complicating the already difficult situation of finding housing in a country and state experiencing a housing crisis that shows no signs of improving.
Knowing your rights as a tenant can help, but often the situation, and how best to navigate it, takes the aid of a lawyer. That’s where the Houston Eviction Advocacy Center comes in. Currently in 5 Harris County Justice of the Peace Courts, the philanthropy funded center works to help Houstonians facing a court system that can all-too-often feel stacked against them.
Houston Food Bank is dedicated to helping Houstonians in times of adversity, and having to find a new place to live when things are already stretched thin certainly qualifies. With the help of the Keep Houston Housed Coalition and the Houston Eviction Advocacy Center, neighbors in need no longer have to face that situation alone.