Harris County, Texas, sees thousands of eviction cases each year. In Precinct 7, Place 1 and Precinct 2, Place 1, two women are working to keep those cases from becoming homelessness.
Valerie Atarai runs Behind the Bench: Justice of the Peace at Precinct 7, Place 1. Loreta Kovacic serves as the eviction diversion coordinator and facilitator at Precinct 2, Place 1. Both programs aim to connect people facing eviction with rental assistance before the judge makes a decision.
On a Wednesday morning at Precinct 7, people walked in for their eviction hearings unsure of the outcome. Outside the courtroom doors, Atarai greeted them with prayers, hugs, and advice.
“Sometimes it takes me saying a prayer with them. Sometimes it takes me being old mama and having a mama moment with them. Some of them just need a simple hug and letting them know it’s going to be okay.”
What the Programs Offer
Behind the Bench fills tables with resources. People can find information on school, jobs, legal aid, and rental assistance. Atarai helps run the program and works closely with the judge.
Kovacic takes a different approach. She reaches out to tenants two weeks before court, giving them confidence to show up. That contact is her first step.
“I reach out to people, to tenants, two weeks before court, and that gives them confidence to show up to court,” Kovacic said. “Because, if you show up, you have a chance.”
Both programs share a core belief: showing up to court is not the end. It is the beginning of a path to a solution.
Rental Assistance and Who Qualifies
Funds for rental assistance come from the county and are administered by Harris County Housing and Community Development. The dollar amount varies, and the rules for who qualifies are strict.
Some factors include whether someone has received rental assistance in the last year. Officials said they do not qualify if they have. Other factors include a plan for self-sufficiency after getting assistance and being no more than three months behind on rent.
“How do I know there is a need? Because my phone is ringing and people are asking for help,” Kovacic said.
The programs do not guarantee a result. They guarantee a process. Atarai said an eviction notice rarely tells the whole story.
“One life hiccup, you may have to take off work two or three days a week because of a sick child,” Atarai said. “You may have had a relative pass. You yourself may be sick, but there’s nothing extra in the coffer.”
Funding and Expansion
The eviction diversion position at Precinct 2, Place 1 was partially funded by a grant and taxpayer dollars. It also included a position at Precinct 2, Place 2.
Harris County Commissioners Court recently approved fully funding the positions and expanding them to three different courts. Derek Kelly, Director of Special Projects at Precinct 2, Place 1, said the move embeds the program into the court’s ongoing budget.
“We needed commissioners court to fully fund the positions because we had been partially grant-funded,” Kelly said. “Now that it’s part of our ongoing budget, it becomes sort of embedded as part of what our court does and it makes it harder to pull that funding back.”
The expansion means more courts can offer the same support that Precinct 2, Place 1 has built over three years.
The Scale of the Problem
A recent Rice University Kinder Institute report found more than 75,000 eviction filings across Harris County in 2025 alone. Some neighborhoods saw filings up to three times the county average, including north Harris County, Houston’s south side, and sections of Katy.
“When I go home, I just see those people who are in court, and they are just homeless now,” Kovacic said. “We have just more homeless people and more homeless people in Houston. Do we need more homeless people in Houston?”
The numbers are large, but the programs work on a personal scale. Kovacic frames the question directly: what is eviction court?
“What is eviction court? Is it something scary, or is it something we can change a little bit?” Kovacic said.
Comparing the Two Courts
| Program | Location | Role | Funding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Behind the Bench: Justice of the Peace | Precinct 7, Place 1 | Administered by Valerie Atarai | Funded through the court’s operations |
| Eviction Diversion | Precinct 2, Place 1 | Coordinated by Loreta Kovacic | Partially grant-funded, now fully funded by Commissioners Court |
The two programs share a goal but operate in distinct ways. Atarai works within the courtroom, offering comfort and guidance. Kovacic works before court, building relationships and finding resources.
Neither can stop every eviction. Both can make sure people walk into the courtroom believing they still have options.
Why This Matters
Eviction is not abstract in Harris County. It is a threat to a family’s home. Atarai and Kovacic work to make that threat smaller.
Kovacic said she knows there is need because her phone rings. The programs are small compared to the scale of the problem. But they are proof that small can matter.
The programs are also proof that courts can do more than hand down judgments. They can offer hope. They can make a system that feels cold feel warm.
That is the difference between a courtroom and a community. One hands down judgment. The other hands up a hand.
Source material: “How some Harris County courts help people receive rental assistance, navigate eviction hearings,” ABC13 Houston.
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