Overview

The many issues on which we work are united by the goal of greater justice. When justice is beyond reach, Texas Appleseed provides the ladder.

Clean Slate Texas

Clean Slate Texas: a pathway for people to rebuild their lives. More »

Coerced Debt

Survivors of domestic violence face numerous obstacle to becoming safe and rebuilding their lives. Even after personal safety challenges are addressed, recent studies have found that economic abuse, in the form of coerced debt More »

Disaster Recovery & Fair Housing

Working to ensure that all Texas families are able to recover in the wake of a natural disaster, that communities are rebuilt to be more resilient, and that all families have the opportunity to live in safe, decent More »

Education Justice

Zero tolerance disciplinary policies, increased reliance on law enforcement and courts to address student behavior, and hostile school climates all contribute to a school-to-prison pipeline in Texas. More »

Fines & Fees

Many of the Texans jailed for failure to pay tickets, fines, and court costs are jailed simply because they did not have the money to pay, despite it being unconstitutional to jail a person for failure to pay fines that they More »

Foster Care & Courts

A child in foster care faces many hurdles growing up and becoming a productive adult. And every child in the foster care system has a judge who oversees all aspects of the child’s life. Their decisions range from where the More »

Homeless Youth

Developing policy solutions that focus on preventing young people from becoming homeless, successfully intervening if they do, and providing education to youth about their rights and responsibilities. More »

Bail Reform & Pretrial Justice

Many low-income defendants stay in jail for no other reason than they cannot afford bail. Working to ensure decisions about pretrial release and detention are based upon risk level and research, rather than the money the More »

Protecting Seniors from Financial Abuse

A myriad of social and economic issues face the millions of people over the age of 65 living in Texas today. We work on policy and resources to prevent the financial exploitation of seniors. More »

Diversity Legal Scholars

Law school should be accessible to all qualified students. Our DLS scholarship helps low-income people of color expand their law school options by covering the full cost of a Kaplan LSAT prep course. More »

Payday & Auto Title Lending Reform

Supporting fair, equitable interest and fee charges for payday, auto title and other small-dollar loans. Texas currently has little to no oversight or regulation of the payday and auto title lending industry compared with many More »

Juvenile Justice

Texas Appleseed continues to push for high quality, community-based treatment of youth in the legal system — with a focus on supporting strong educational programs in county facilities. We support staff training and More »

Insurance

Insurance can support the financial stability of Texas families, but only if it is fairly priced and appropriately compensates customers in the event of a covered loss. More »

Civil Asset Forfeiture

Civil asset forfeiture is a tool law enforcement uses to seize property believed to be used or involved in a crime. It raises concerns about “policing for profit" and that law enforcement use asset forfeiture as a regular More »

Debt Collection

Many Texans are impacted by debt collection issues. We work to curb unfair practices in the debt collection process and to ensure Texans know their rights under federal and state law. More »