UPDATE 10/6/26: On September 30th, S.K. and her housemates were given a 24-hour notice to vacate. Thanks to the donations so far, she was able to cover rent and a deposit for a new place for her and two of her housemates to live!

But there are many costs that come with moving in to a new place. The water needs to be switched over to the tenants' names, and requires a $150 deposit. Every dollar helps S.K. and her housemates live in dignity while continuing the legal fight against her retaliatory eviction.

UPDATE 9/30/26: S.K. has still not been able to obtain legal aid. Appealing an eviction comes with brutally short deadlines and challenging requirements.

The court refused to provide any accommodations for S.K.'s disabilities, requiring her to fight through a flare-up to file her appeal in person before the deadline. To file an appeal for an eviction, the court demands rent must be paid. The trial's decision also demands a rent payment; an unjust double recovery.

S.K. filed an affidavit addressing the double recovery, but it is unclear if the court will consider it before seeing the appeal. The legal battle is intentionally confusing and complicated, and favors landlords over tenants.

UPDATE 9/22/26: S.K. had her day in court on September 21st. The jury ruled in favor of the landlord.

Although the director of the boarding house filed the eviction with the court on August 31st, she demanded damages amounting to rent for the month of September, plus $30 per day in late fees from the 5th of September to the trial date. In total, $1330. She also made accusations of theft, which the jury denied and ruled in S.K.'s favor.

The court did not examine any evidence brought to the trial, nor did it hear any witness testimonials. The jury ruling only addressed the damages demanded, and the accusations of theft, leaving S.K. unclear of the ultimate ruling about the eviction itself.

In Texas, you cannot counter-sue during an eviction trial, so S.K.'s arguments about the retaliatory nature of the eviction and the preceding abuse went unheard. To seek justice, S.K. will have to appeal the ruling and file a suit of her own for retaliatory eviction.

S.K. has secured new housing with other residents who also want out of the hostile situation. Their new home was not move-in ready, so they have been unable to move until this week. Still within the mandatory 30 days to comply with the eviction. But because of the court awarding damages to her landlord, S.K. will be unable to afford her share of rent, utilities, and deposit.

There is a severe lack of resources for the most vulnerable members of our community. For folks here in Lubbock who are disabled, dealing with housing instability, and part of marginalized groups, what meager resources there are have major gaps that leave those relying on them unable to keep up. Support only lasts so long, or comes with strings attached, or, at worst, becomes hostile.

SOUP and Mariposas of Lubbock are hosting a fundraising campaign for one such member of our community. For her privacy and safety, we will be using only her initials to tell her story. S.K. is currently awaiting a court date to challenge a retaliatory eviction from a group home she was placed in by a case worker. If the eviction stands, it will permanently stand on her record and make it almost impossible to find housing on her own.

S.K. was born and raised in Lubbock. She has had a difficult life: being trafficked as a child, barred from her rightful inheritance, and having her parental rights to her daughter illegally terminated on the basis of disability. And all while fighting these fights, she has struggled to find consistent support with her disabilities, housing assistance, and financial aid. She is waitlisted for a bed at Moody NeuroRehab, and therefore can't commit to a standard lease.

In just the past 2 months, S.K. has had to move 4 times: two shelters and two group homes. When S.K. raised the alarm and reported fraud and exploitation at her current residence, she was threatened with an illegal eviction. Not only was she listed on the eviction, but all six residents were threatened with eviction. Two of the other residents facing these threats are supporting S.K. in the lawsuit. The others have explicitly stated that they are afraid to follow suit, despite the eviction being filed against S.K. "and all other occupants." Other members of the home have had property stolen or discarded, and endured verbal and physical abuse. Reports to APS have gone unanswered.

The funds raised here will go toward covering legal fees in S.K.'s fight against this eviction. Even if S.K. is eligible for a state-appointed attorney, there are court fees throughout every step of the process. Legal fights are expensive, and every little bit helps to ease at least one burden and barrier that stands in the way of agency and prosperity.

To learn more about the rampant fraud and abuse Texans like S.K. face in group homes, read this article, "Nowhere to Go: Inside the Texas Boarding Home System Where Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation Are Widespread", in the Texas Observer.

SOUP is a local mutual aid collective that supports the LGBTQ+ community in Lubbock. They have hosted community events, and raised hundreds of dollars to distribute to local aid efforts.

Mariposas is a local mutual aid collective focused on helping unhoused, low-income, disenfranchised, and immigrant community members in Lubbock through meal distributions, resource compiling, and resource dissemination.

Fight Illegal Eviction!

SOUP and Mariposas are raising money to help a Lubbock community member in need.