Fighting housing insecurity
by Catherine Deyarmond
A $1.2 million gift from Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. (MHM) is powering the St. Mary’s University School of Law’s Real Estate Clinic and Consumer Protection Clinic through 2026.
This strategic partnership tackles a critical community need: promoting housing stability and strengthening consumer protection by delivering vital legal assistance and education to limited-income residents across San Antonio and South Texas.
Winston Erevelles, Ph.D., President of St. Mary’s University, said the gift aligns with both St. Mary’s values as a Catholic and Marianist University and MHM’s mission.
“Theirs is a mission grounded in service, compassion and community well-being,” Erevelles said. “We are truly honored to be among the beneficiaries of their generosity.”
Jaime Wesolowski, MHM President and CEO, said the missions of Methodist Healthcare Ministries, St. Mary’s University and its School of Law are tightly interwoven.
“This $1.2 million investment represents more than just funding,” Wesolowski said. “It’s an investment in the health and stability of working families across Bexar County and South Texas who are facing unprecedented housing challenges.”
Housing costs have risen, both nationwide and in central South Texas, and evictions have surpassed their pre-2020 levels, he said. This is “creating a public health emergency in our communities. We’re seeing devastating loss of inherited land through predatory land purchases and partition actions that target vulnerable families, often those who have owned property for generations,” he said.
“This $1.2 million investment represents more than just funding. It’s an investment in the health and stability of working families across Bexar County and South Texas who are facing unprecedented housing challenges.”
— Jaime Wesolowski, President and CEO, Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc.
This partnership provides the opportunity to support working families and individuals who face legal barriers in their lives, especially as homeowners, renters, tenants and consumers, Wesolowski said.
Karen Kelley, J.D., Assistant Dean for Clinical Programs and Englehardt Research Fellow, said the funding from MHM supports the continuation of legal services provided by law students through the Real Estate Clinic and Consumer Protection Clinic under the supervision of expert faculty.
“Our Clinical Program provides essential, free legal representation to members of our community who could not otherwise afford representation,” Kelley said. “Law students enroll in the clinical courses for academic credit — gaining lawyering skills by working on real cases for real people. Around 40 students each year participate in our two housing-related clinics.”
Cora Hickey, a third-year J.D. student and teaching assistant for the Real Estate Clinic, said the MHM gift gives students additional resources to be more hands-on with the clinic.
“Working in the clinic has been my favorite part of law school,” Hickey said. “It truly is the most fulfilling part of the law school experience.”
Anthony “Kash” Maley, third-year J.D. student in the Consumer Protection Clinic, said, “Knowing that my work made the difference between someone staying in their home or experiencing homelessness is an indescribable feeling. The clients are so grateful, and the relief on their faces touches me in a uniquely human way.”
