News & Updates

Three years after his discharge, Joseph had fallen into a dangerous cycle of drugs, alcohol, and depression. Unemployed, homeless and hungry, Joe walked into the Audie Murphy Veterans Administration hospital ready to accept the help he desperately needed. However, due to the category of discharged Joe received, he was told he was NOT eligible for VA benefits and handed a single piece of paper with local community resources that may help Joseph, if they have the capacity and capability to address his needs.

As rent relief programs created to assist during the pandemic wind down, the need for legal assistance regarding housing issues has risen dramatically due to the increased risk of displacement, eviction, and homelessness. To combat these issues, SALSA has collaborated with St. Mary’s Law Consumer Protection Clinic headed by St. Mary’s Clinical Professor of Law Genevieve Hébert Fajardo, which operates a housing hotline for community members in need of legal assistance.

SALSA recently hosted its first ever Transfer on Death Deed (“TODD”) Clinic in partnership with the Mexican American Unity Council (“MAUC”). A TODD is very simply, a legal document filed with the county clerk that operates to automatically transfer title to real property upon a person’s death, removing the need for that property to go through the probate process and potentially preventing delays if the property must be sold or transferred right away.

We have recently seen an increase in Spanish-speaking applicants for legal services with SALSA. This increase has become apparent in all our programs and clinics, but it has especially shown…