Harris County Eviction Assistance: Free Legal Help, Rent Aid, and Court Steps

Harris County eviction assistance available now

Help in Harris County comes from a handful of places, and each one does a different job. Legal aid keeps you in court and can stop a wrongful eviction. Charities and agencies pay money toward rent or utilities when they have funds. 211 ties it all together by telling you what is open on the day you call.

None of these services charge you. If anyone asks for a fee to “stop” your eviction or to sign you up for rent aid, walk away. Applying for public and charity programs is free.

Free legal help in Harris County eviction court

The most reliable form of help right now is a free lawyer. Lone Star Legal Aid runs an Eviction Right to Counsel Initiative as part of the Harris County Eviction Defense Coalition. Its partners include Houston Volunteer Lawyers, South Texas College of Law Houston, the Earl Carl Institute at Thurgood Marshall School of Law, and the University of Houston Law Center.

The program says it covers all 16 Harris County Justice of the Peace courts and works somewhat like a public defender for tenants. It helps tenants who meet its financial requirements, depending on available resources. The page does not publish the exact income limit, so call even if you are unsure.

• Call or text early. As soon as you have a court date, call 361-353-8428 or text the word APPLY. Waiting until the morning of the hearing leaves less time to build a defense.
• Go to court early. Lone Star Legal Aid suggests arriving at least 30 minutes before your hearing to see whether its staff can help you on the spot. It says its staff regularly attend most, but not all, of the 16 courts.
• Apply online through the Lone Star Legal Aid website if you cannot get through by phone.

A lawyer can check whether your notice was delivered the right way, whether the amount claimed is correct, whether you have defenses such as repair problems or retaliation, and whether the landlord will accept a payment agreement. If you have a disability, a lawyer can also help you ask for a reasonable accommodation.

For free self-help guides and court forms, TexasLawHelp.org has plain-language eviction articles written for Texas tenants. For a statewide view of programs, see our guide to eviction assistance in Texas.

Rent and utility help from local charities

Money for rent in the Houston area is limited and comes in waves. When we checked in late October 2026, most programs we could confirm were closed or waiting for new funding. That can change at any time, so check often.

Catholic Charities Houston

Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston lists several rent programs by area. Its City of Houston program is for court-ordered evictions and asks for an active court order or scheduled court date, a lease signed by both sides, and a government ID, with documents due within 24 hours of a request. Its Harris County program asks for a late notice and proof you are behind on the current month’s rent. Both were marked closed when we checked. Help is open to people of any faith. Call 713-526-4611 to ask when intake reopens.

211 Texas and the United Way Helpline

The 211 Texas/United Way Helpline in Houston answers around the clock. Dial 211 or 713-957-4357 and say you have an eviction case, your ZIP code, and your court date. Ask about rent, utilities, shelter, and legal help in the same call. You can also search the statewide 211 Texas directory online.

BakerRipley utility help

BakerRipley ran the large pandemic rent program, but its current help is with energy bills. Its utility assistance program covers electric, gas, or propane bills for residents of Harris, Brazoria, and Galveston counties. The page lists an annual income limit of $23,940 for one person and $49,500 for a household of four, effective January 26, 2026. It does not cover water bills or rent. When we checked, applications were closed and expected to reopen on Monday, November 9. Each household may apply once per calendar year. Paying a utility bill can free up cash for rent, so it is worth applying when it opens.

Salvation Army and churches

The Salvation Army Houston Area Command offers emergency help through local centers, and some churches help members and neighbors with a partial month of rent. Funds are small, so ask several places and tell each one what the others have pledged. Landlords are more likely to accept a payment when the full balance is covered.

What happened to the county rent program

From 2020 through the early 2020s, the City of Houston and Harris County ran a joint emergency rental assistance program, with BakerRipley as one of the administrators. It was paid for mostly with federal pandemic money. The U.S. Treasury’s Emergency Rental Assistance program has since ended; the last spending period for its second round closed on September 30, 2025.

That means the big, open-to-everyone rent program many people remember is gone. Websites that still show the old application are out of date. Today’s help is smaller and more targeted: legal defense in court, short-term charity aid, utility help, and homeless-prevention programs funded by HUD grants through local agencies. Harris County Community Services and the City of Houston sometimes fund new programs, so ask 211 whether any county or city rent help has opened since we checked.

How Texas eviction cases work after SB 38

Texas Senate Bill 38 changed eviction procedure for cases filed on or after January 1, 2026. The Texas Justice Court Training Center publishes training materials on the new rules for judges and court staff. Here is how a case moves under the enrolled bill text. This is a plain summary, not legal advice.

The Texas Supreme Court also rewrote its eviction rules (Rule 510) to match. Court training materials note some rule changes were still being finalized during 2026, so ask a lawyer about the exact deadlines in your case.

Preparing for your justice court hearing

Your case will be heard in the Justice of the Peace court for the precinct where your home is. The citation lists the court, the date, and the time. If you miss the hearing, the landlord usually wins by default, so going matters more than anything else.

• Bring your papers: lease, rent receipts or bank records, the notice to vacate, the citation, and any texts or emails with the landlord.
• Bring proof of help on the way: a pledge letter from a charity or a pending application number can persuade a landlord to settle.
• Bring photos of repair problems if they matter to your case.
• Ask about an agreement. Many cases end with a written payment plan or move-out date instead of a judgment.
• Ask about the court’s mediation options. Harris County has run an eviction diversion effort with mediation and referrals; ask court staff whether it is available in your court.

Read any agreement carefully before you sign. Some agreements say the landlord can get a judgment quickly if you miss a payment. A legal aid lawyer can explain what you are agreeing to.

Rights you keep until a writ is issued

An eviction notice is not an order to leave. You can stay in your home while the case is pending, and only a constable carrying a writ of possession can remove you. In most cases a Texas landlord cannot:

• Change the locks to force you out without following the narrow lockout rules in the Property Code.
• Shut off utilities they provide to push you out.
• Remove your belongings without a court writ.
• Retaliate because you asked for repairs or complained to a government agency.

If you live in a property funded by the City of Houston, you can report problems to Houston Housing and Community Development through its tenant and landlord resources page or at 832-394-6200, option 1. For discrimination concerns, the same page lists the Greater Houston Fair Housing Center and HUD’s fair housing line.

Longer-term housing options in Harris County

If staying is not possible, these programs can help you land somewhere stable.

• Harris County Housing Authority: HCHA serves Harris County outside the City of Houston. Its Housing Choice Voucher waitlist last opened for a short online window in 2020 and has been reported closed since. Watch its site for any reopening.
• Houston Housing Authority: serves the City of Houston. Ask 211 about current public housing and voucher waitlists.
• Rapid re-housing: Catholic Charities says people experiencing homelessness in Houston apply through Coordinated Access with The Way Home at 832-531-6041, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Job loss: if you lost work, file for unemployment with the Texas Workforce Commission right away. Steady income makes a payment plan or new lease easier.

An eviction judgment can follow you when you apply for a new place. Our guide to second chance apartments that accept evictions explains screening reports and how to rent again.

What documents do I need to apply?

Expect to show photo ID, Social Security numbers for the people applying, proof of income for the last 30 days, and proof of where you live, plus any paper that shows the emergency itself. Our document checklist explains what counts for each item and what to do if something is missing. If you don't have everything yet, apply anyway and ask the office how long you have to bring the rest.

Your step-by-step plan

1. Read your notice or citation and write down the amount, deadline, court, and hearing date.
2. Call Lone Star Legal Aid at 361-353-8428 or text APPLY the same day.
3. Dial 211 or 713-957-4357 and ask for every open rent, utility, and shelter program for your ZIP code.
4. Call Catholic Charities at 713-526-4611 to check rent intake, and apply for BakerRipley utility help when it opens.
5. Talk to your landlord in writing about a payment plan, and keep copies.
6. Go to your hearing at least 30 minutes early with all your papers.
7. If you lose, ask legal aid about an appeal within 5 days, and line up a backup place to stay.

Related guides

• Eviction assistance in Texas
• Rental assistance in Dallas County
• Texas financial assistance
• Immediate housing assistance for homeless

Frequently asked questions

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Program funding and eviction rules change. National Relief Program is an independent website and is not affiliated with Harris County, the City of Houston, or any charity or housing agency named here.