Nowhere to Go: Inside the Texas Boarding Home System Where Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation Are Widespread

Editor’s Note: This article was produced and published by In These Times and Type Investigations. It is republished here with permission.

Angelique Estes knew her stay would be rough as soon as she arrived at her new home in Arlington, Texas, in early December 2023.

At 53 years old, Estes had learned to read her environment quickly. She’s lived with cerebral palsy all her life, and her health quickly deteriorated after her husband of nearly 30 years died two years prior, leaving her unable to walk. With no family able to care for her and only disability benefits to rely on, Estes—like thousands of Texans in similar circumstances—turned to group homes as a low-cost alternative to the nursing home she c...