Audrey Dixon, St. Mary’s University School of Law, First Year Student
Volunteering as a law clerk for SALSA over Spring Break was an eye-opening experience. Throughout the week I researched the Texas Property Codes and the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, sat in on eviction dockets in the Justice of the Peace Precinct One, and spoke with individuals who received eviction judgments about their options, including their right to appeal the judgement. These opportunities not only gave me a greater understanding of the law, but also opened my eyes to the housing crisis in San Antonio.
On March 14, Texas Rent Relief applications re-opened and were scheduled to stay open until March 28. However, Texas Rent Relief ran out of funds within two days and the applications closed on March 16 because so many Texans applied for assistance. My experience at the Justice of the Peace court and the fact that the rent relief funds ran out so quickly showed me that so many genuinely need the type of help that Texas Rent Relief set out to provide.
Seeing what SALSA has been able to do to arm individuals with knowledge of their rights has been inspiring, and it was a privilege to work with SALSA and get boots on the ground experience working with property law and assisting individuals facing housing instability.