Housing Law Group
The goal of the Housing Law Group is to provide legal assistance to clients and dependent family members in order to prevent homelessness through intervention in crisis situations where homelessness is imminent and to help people facing difficult barriers obtain or access safe, affordable housing.
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Group Coordinator
| Name | Office |
| Fred Fuchs | Austin |
Team Managers
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Laws
- Landlord-Tenant Law: An Overview Cornell Legal Information Institute site providing access to federal and state statutes, regulations, and court decisions
- 24 C.F.R. – Housing and Urban Development courtesy of the LII
- 42 U.S.C., Chapter 45 – Federal Fair Housing Act courtesy of the LII
- HUD Fair Housing Accessibility Guidelines
Federal Agencies
- Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
- Texas State Office
- Local (TX) Hud Offices
- List of HUD-Approved Housing Counseling Agencies 1-888-466-3487 national directory of HUD-approved local housing counseling agencies
- Predatory Lending by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
- Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO)enforces civil rights laws ensuring equal access to housing without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or family composition
- Fair Housing Accessibility Guidelines
- Filing a Federal Housing Discrimination Complaint 1-800-669-9777 HUD information, instructions, and forms
- Reporting a Bad Landlord in Federal Housing 1-800-685-8470
- Filing a Complaint Concerning a Fraudulent or Abusive Land Sale
- Filing a Complaint Concerning Manufactured Housing 1-800-927-2891
- National Servicing Center works with lenders to help homeowners find ways of avoiding foreclosure
HUD Information Resources
- Public Housing Authorities Contact Information
- Buying a Home collection of useful information for people considering buying a house or a manufactured home. Includes information about homebuyer rights, mortgages and homebuyer assistance programs, and home building and rehabilitation
- People with Disabilities information about apartment accessibility, housing for people with disabilities, and fair housing
- Renters’ Kit information for people considering renting, including tips for finding an apartment and information about federal rental assistance programs and fair housing laws
- Tenants information about tenants’ rights and responsibilities, federal rental assistance programs, and fair housing
- Housing Authority Profiles directory of local housing authorities and their numbers of low-rent units
HUD Programs
- HOME Program provides grants that states and local governments can use to fund housing programs for low- and very low-income people
- Public Housing summary of public housing eligibility, benefits, and application procedures
- Rights and Responsibilities of Residents of HUD-Assisted Housing
- Homeownership Vouchers assists first-time homeowners with monthly homeownership expenses. Families may apply through local public housing authorities
- Section 8 program providing low-income families and elderly and disabled individuals with vouchers to use toward rent in the private market
State Agencies
- Office of the Attorney General
- Overview of Tenants’ Rights covers leases; rights to peace and quiet, health and safety, and security; and how to deal with rental problems
- Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA)
- Energy Assistance Program
- Housing Finance Division administers programs to help low- income families buy homes. Programs include the Down Payment Assistance Program and the First Time Homebuyer’s Program
- Overview of TDHCA Housing Programs
- First Time Homebuyers’ Program
- HOME Division provides grants to support affordable housing
- Manufactured Housing Division regulates the state manufactured housing industry
- Public Utilities Commission of Texas
- Texas Real Estate Commission
Legal Resources
- National Fair Housing Advocate provides legal resources, news, and other information about fair housing. A project of the Tennessee Fair Housing Authority
- National Housing Law Project provides housing information, advocacy, and technical assistance to attorneys, housing advocates, and others who serve the poor
- National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty provides legal assistance, advocacy, and education to promote the rights of homeless people and to end homelessness in the U.S.
- National Poverty Law Center promotes creative and collaborative approaches for representing low-income people in social policy and poverty law
- Texas C-Bar provides pro bono legal assistance to community-based nonprofits that are pursuing affordable housing initiatives
Texas Non-Profit and Advocacy Organizations
- Texas Low Income Housing Information Service (TxLIHIS) supports low-income Texans’ efforts to obtain decent, affordable homes in quality neighborhoods
- Border Low-Income Housing Coalition coalition of housing providers, advocates, government officials, and residents working to improve housing and economic conditions in colonias and urban areas along the border
- Housing Counselor incredibly useful service and directory helping low-income people to find and understanding housing subsidy programs in Texas. Includes information on how each program works; how to apply; and how to find available housing in your area
- Texas Tenant Advisor provides information about the rights and responsibilities of Texas renters. Includes a discussion forum for posting rental questions
- The Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC)a national community-building organization, provides grants, loans and equity investments to community development corporations (CDCs) for neighborhood redevelopment.
- MET (Motivation, Education, and Training, Inc.) provides housing, education, and job training programs for farmworkers
- Proyecto Azteca Rio Grande Valley self-help housing program
- Texas Association of Community Development Corporations
- Texas Low Income Housing Information Service Formerly Community Reinvestment Coalition dedicated to fair access to mortgage credit and banking services for all Texans.
- Texas Homeless Network promotes effective services to homeless Texans by providing information, resources, and technical assistance to homeless service provides throughout the state
- Texas Home of Your Own Coalition coalition of disability advocates, government housing agencies, realtors, and private lenders working to make homeownership a reality for Texans with disabilities
- Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation
National Advocacy Organizations
- Beyond Shelter combats chronic poverty and homelessness among families with children
- Center for Community Change helps low-income people build effective community-based organizations to address affordable housing shortages and other issues
- Child Welfare League of America, Housing and Homelessness Initiative promotes policies to protect homeless children and those living in inadequate housing
- Enterprise Foundation housing and community development corporation dedicated to bringing lasting improvements to low-income communities
- Habitat for Humanity national office of the self-help housing program
- Housing America Corporation works to improve affordable housing opportunities through grassroots organizing, coalition-building, and media tactics
- Housing Assistance Council provides loans and technical assistance to help local organizations build affordable homes for rural Americans
- National Alliance to End Homelessness advocates for practical, community-based solutions to end homelessness
- National Association of Housing Cooperatives
- National Coalition for the Homeless educates, organizes, and advocates to end homelessness
- National Housing Institute provides research to develop more effective affordable housing and community development policies
- National Housing Trust
- National Low Income Housing Coalition (LIHIS) provides advocacy, information, and policy recommendations to increase the availability of low-income housing
- National Rural Housing Coalition advocates to promote rural affordable housing and community development
- NeighborWorks Network network of programs supporting affordable housing, homeownership, and investments in neighborhood revitalization. Includes information on Neighborhood Reinvestment, the Neighborhood Housing Service of America, and the Rural Housing Alliance
- Rural Community Assistance Corporation provides housing and environmental services throughout the western U.S.
- Tenant Net online resource for tenants. Focused on New York City and New York state, but includes useful information for Texas residents as well
Housing Development
- The Enterprise Foundation
- Habitat for Humanity
- Local Initiatives Support Council (LISC)
- National Council of State Housing Agencies
- Youthbuild program offering education and job training to out-of-school youths, aged 16-24, through the construction and rehabilitation of affordable housing in their communities
Home Financing and Information
- Fannie Maeprovides home mortgage funds and services to lenders and homebuyers
- Homepath service to find Fannie Mae-approved lenders and mortgages. Includes useful homebuying information
- Freddie Mac provides mortgage financing and other financial services to homebuyers and homeowners
- Ginnie Mae federal program helping to finance homeownership opportunities for low-income people
- NeighborWorks Network network of programs supporting affordable housing, homeownership, and investments in neighborhood revitalization
Research and Statistics
- Housing Research Foundation provides research, information, and technical assistance for public housing agencies and public housing consumers
- Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Clearinghouse interactive information service for people interested in low-income energy issues
News
- NeighborWorks Publications directory of NeighborWorks Network publications A-Z
- Shelterforce housing and community development magazine published by the National Housing Institute
The Housing Law Group
The Objectives
- Increase the number of clients in the TRLA service area remaining in their homes by providing assistance to protect against foreclosures and evictions stemming from predatory lending, discrimination and other unlawful practices.
- Provide at-risk or disadvantaged populations in the TRLA service area, including low-income residents, Latinos for whom English is a second language, the elderly and disabled residents, with legal assistance to access affordable housing.
- Improve low-income peoples' access to legal services through partnerships with community organizations across the 68-county service area.
- Enforce the Fair Housing Act and other Federal and state laws creating legal protections for tenants and homeowners.
Our Activities
Provide our clients with legal housing services through a variety of means:
- Community outreach and education.
- Group counseling sessions (upon request from a local housing agency).
- One-on-one counseling and direct legal representation in negotiation and litigation.
- Partner with 6 organizations that provide services in the same service area to conduct outreach and provide information on rights.
- Review legality of policies of public housing authorities, tax credit landlords or federally subsidized landlords; challenge illegal policies.
- Assist low-income community groups on legal issues relating to development of affordable housing.
- Produce bilingual educational and outreach materials on a variety of housing topics for use by clients.
- Serve as speakers at seminars on housing issues.
- Prepare legal materials for use by housing advocates.
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