Harris County Launches Eviction Legal Aid Center Amid Rising Housing Crisis
By Shaneece Flax - Communications Coordinator - New Economy for Working Houston
November 4, 2025
As eviction filings in Harris County continue to surge past pre-pandemic levels, NEW Houston is celebrating a win with the launch of the Houston Eviction Advocacy Center (HEAC), a new legal aid initiative aimed at keeping vulnerable tenants in their homes.
HEAC, founded by attorney and housing advocate Mark Melton who also established the Dallas Eviction Advocacy Center has already taken on thirteen cases since opening.
Precinct 2 and Precinct 5 in Harris County, Texas are actively piloting The Houston Eviction Advocacy Center, setting the precedent for other precincts to hopefully follow. “We have provided services to 13 residents in Houston,” said Melton. “None of those tenants have been evicted.”
According to a June 2025 report by Keep Harris Housed, Harris County saw 76,321 eviction filings in 2024, with February 2025 alone recording 6,536 filings 53% above pre-pandemic averages. Nearly half of renter households in the county are considered housing cost-burdened, leaving many just one emergency away from losing their homes.
Sifat Amita of New Economy for Working Houston, one of the report’s co-authors, expressed her concerns over the morality and ethical dilemma of the economic crisis in Houston. “Eviction is not just a housing issue, it's a public health and economic crisis,” said Amita. “We need a permanent solution that centers dignity and justice.”
The report calls for Harris County to adopt a county-funded Eviction Legal Aid Program modeled after Dallas’s Right to Counsel initiative. That program, backed by a $1.3 million investment, helped 5,000 tenants annually and prevented at least 3,100 evictions, yielding a $40.68 million net return to taxpayers. That’s $30 saved for every $1 spent.
Advocates argue that legal representation not only prevents displacement but also reduces public costs associated with homelessness, emergency healthcare, and foster care. Local modeling by January Advisors estimates that evictions cost the Houston region over $647 million annually. A $10 million investment in legal aid could save up to $115 million each year.
The current Harris County legal aid program, funded through the American Rescue Plan Act, is set to expire in summer 2025 and has faced limitations including income thresholds, documentation requirements, and outreach restrictions.
The proposed county-funded model would eliminate these barriers, allowing legal teams to serve more tenants directly in court.
Tenants facing eviction in Harris County in Precincts 2 and 5 can now seek free legal assistance through the newly launched Houston Eviction Advocacy Centers Website which is accepting inquiries via its official website.
