Free Virtual Workshop in San Antonio on Rights of Tenants, Avoiding Eviction, and Staying Housed
Free Virtual Workshop in San Antonio on Rights of Tenants, Avoiding Eviction, and Staying Housed
Dec. 4, 2020
Contact: Robert Elder, TRLA Communications Director | (512) 374-2764, relder@trla.org
SAN ANTONIO – With the federal order halting evictions for certain tenants set to expire on Dec. 31, it’s essential to learn your rights as a tenant and how you can stay housed.
Join the housing experts at Texas RioGrande Legal Aid on Dec. 8 for a free virtual workshop on tenant rights, evictions, and the soon-to-expire temporary halt on evictions issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The English session starts at 6:00 pm and the Spanish session at 7:00 pm.
The workshop covers the eviction process and how tenants can protect themselves. Eviction is not a criminal matter, and being unable to pay your rent is not a crime. An eviction proceeding is a serious matter, however, because it means you could lose your housing.
The workshop explains the eviction process so tenants can determine if the landlord is following the law. An eviction requires proper notice to the tenant and filing an eviction case in court, among other steps.
The CDC order temporarily paused evictions for eligible tenants until after Dec. 31. The order does not cancel or forgive rent. Even though the order expires soon, eligible tenants should consider applying for protection. Tenants can check the eligibility requirements here, and TRLA attorneys will also explain the requirements during the workshop.
The CDC order only protects tenants from eviction through Dec. 31, but that could provide more time to find other housing or find rental assistance. The workshop explains to tenants how to complete and submit the specific CDC-related forms to stop an eviction.
The workshop will also cover problems that often develop before evictions, such as disputes over repairs, lock-outs, utility shut-offs, late rent payments and fees, and lease violations.
Also, the workshop will discuss Bexar County’s participation in the Texas Eviction Diversion Program. This program allows a tenant to apply for up to six months’ worth of rent. Bexar County is one of 19 counties participating in the Eviction Diversion Program.
More information on the Eviction Diversion Program is at Stop TX Eviction, a new online information guide to help tenants understand their legal rights and the remedies available to keep them housed.
Texas RioGrande Legal Aid provides free legal services to people who cannot afford an attorney in 68 southwestern counties, including the Texas-Mexico border. TRLA attorneys specialize in more than 45 areas of the law, including disaster assistance, family, employment, foreclosure, bankruptcy, landlord-tenant, housing, education, immigration, farmworker, and civil rights. Our hotline is open from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (CST) Monday – Friday: (956) 996-8752.