(Texas Scorecard) – Texas lawmakers proposed two measures aimed at addressing the growing squatter crisis across the state in a Senate committee hearing.
Senate Bill 38 deals with formal eviction processes and jurisdiction while Senate Bill 1333 focuses on unauthorized entry and occupancy. Together, the measures streamline eviction processes and provide property owners with more tools to reclaim illegally occupied properties.
State Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R-Houston), the author of SB 38, highlighted the severity of the issue, noting that squatting has become a significant problem affecting communities statewide.
“We’ve seen cases where squatters have taken over entire apartment complexes, causing substantial financial damage to property owners,” said Bettencourt.
Bettencourt emphasized that the bill aims to fix the process to ensure courts can swiftly return possession to rightful owners, citing an example of a justice of the peace who kept a squatter in a home during Christmas despite clear evidence of unauthorized occupation.
State Sen. Bryan Hughes (R- Mineola), author of SB 1333, said the bill will empower homeowners, enabling faster property reclamation through law enforcement action and reducing reliance on lengthy court proceedings.
SB 1333 allows property owners to request the county sheriff or constable remove unauthorized occupants if the property is not open to the public and there is no pending litigation.
Corey Rogers, an attorney and small rental property owner, testified that the current eviction process can be devastating for small property owners, who often rely on rental income to cover mortgages and expenses.
Stephanie Graves from Q10 Property Advisors testified that “In the last three years, we filed 102 squatter cases, with an average removal time of 128 days and a total company loss of over $750,000.” She emphasized that SB 38 would help restore fairness and property rights by closing loopholes that allow squatters to delay evictions.
Crystal Moya of LUMA Residential described a case where squatters occupied 11 apartments in a low-income housing development, preventing a disabled voucher recipient from moving into her assigned handicapped-accessible unit. Moya argued that SB 38 would help restore accountability to the eviction process, allowing property owners to reclaim homes more quickly and house families in need.
However, the measures faced criticism from legal aid representatives. Nelson Mock from Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid argued that the proposed legislation could harm vulnerable tenants.
“This is not a squatter bill. This is a bill that undermines tenants’ rights across the board,” Mock said.
Jim Grace from the National Rental Home Council supported the legislation, emphasizing that illegal occupation is a criminal activity. “Every incident of illegal occupation means one less home available for a family in need,” Grace testified.
Judge Shepard from the Texas Public Policy Foundation cited a 2024 survey showing 475 homes were occupied by squatters in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, making it the second-worst metropolitan area nationwide for this issue.