In a city where gentrification and rising property values create unique challenges for low-income families, the Earl Carl Institute (ECI) at Texas Southern University’s Thurgood Marshall School of Law is stepping up to help families protect their land and homes. Through the Opal Mitchell Lee Property Preservation Project, ECI provides free legal services to families navigating complicated inheritance and property title issues, safeguarding generational wealth in underserved communities.
Heirs’ property—land or homes passed down without clear titles—often leads to legal confusion when multiple family members inherit small shares. Without proper documentation, families risk losing their property to tax foreclosures, partition sales, or developers eager to exploit these situations. “If a house is left to everyone, it’s really left to no one,” explained the City of San Antonio. Clear titles are essential for property tax exemptions, disaster aid, or home repair programs. Without them, selling or using the property as loan collateral can become nearly impossible.
The project’s namesake, Opal Mitchell Lee, knows this struggle all too well. Her family lost over 100 acres of mineral-rich land in East Texas because fractured ownership and unpaid taxes led to foreclosure. Her story reflects a common pattern in African American communities, where predatory practices have historically stripped families of wealth. Research shows that Black families lost nearly 90% of their farmland between 1910 and 1997, a significant contributor to today’s racial wealth gap.
Established in 2007, the Opal Mitchell Lee Property Preservation Project combats these losses by addressing “systemic social issues” tied to generational wealth. The project also aims to help families in Houston’s historically Black neighborhoods, such as the Third Ward and Fifth Ward, where gentrification poses a growing threat.
Thanks to a $75,000 grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas, ECI is expanding its efforts, offering title clearing, estate planning, and annual community-based estate planning clinics. These services have already helped over 100 families each year, providing much-needed relief and empowering them with the knowledge to protect their assets.
For more information or to apply for free assistance, families can contact ECI at 713-313-1139 or visit https://earlcarlinc.org/apply-for-help.
