HOUSTON – A Houston woman who says she was wrongfully evicted during the pandemic is speaking out about how Lone Star Legal Aid helped her win her case, as the nonprofit now faces the possibility of losing nearly half of its federal funding.
Twyla Copaus said her former landlord accepted federal rental assistance from Harris County during the pandemic but still attempted to evict her twice.
She said Lone Star Legal Aid attorneys stepped in, represented her in court, and helped her win.
“I think it’s wonderful. I wouldn’t have made it without them,” Copaus said. “People should know these landlords can’t get away with everything. Lone Star Legal Aid helped me win my case.”
Lone Star Legal Aid serves low-income Texans in civil matters, including eviction defense, unsafe housing conditions, protective orders for survivors of domestic violence, benefits assistance for veterans, and unlawful debt collection cases involving seniors.
But the organization’s federal funding is now at risk.
Legal Services Corporation (LSC), which provides grants to Lone Star Legal Aid, is funded through Congress.
According to LSC:
- Last year, LSC grantees in Texas helped 487,793 people with civil legal problems.
- A proposed 46% nationwide cut would mean Texas grantees would help 224,385 fewer people.
- LSC grantees in Texas served 4,646 veterans last year. A 46% cut would leave 2,137 veterans without those services.
The White House has proposed eliminating LSC funding. The House recommends a 46% cut, while the Senate supports a small increase. For now, a temporary funding measure runs through the end of January, leaving Lone Star Legal Aid’s 2026 funding uncertain.
Lone Star Legal Aid litigation director Dana Karni said any federal cuts would have a direct and devastating effect on the nonprofit’s ability to serve Texans in crisis.
“We’ve helped thousands of people avoid eviction during the pandemic, and we do so many other things,” Karni said. “If our funding is cut, we will serve so many fewer individuals who are in dire need of civil legal aid.”
Karni added that Houston and East Texas — areas repeatedly hit by natural and man-made disasters — would feel the impact most.
“The impact would absolutely be monumental,” she said.
Federal funding makes up roughly half of its budget.
Donations can be made at LoneStarLegalAid.org/donate.