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Updated June 2026 · SSA Public
Hearing Office
HOUSTON WEST
Region 06Rank #61 of 160
Avg processing
250days
-16 vs national
Processing time
250
8.3 months
Hearing wait
8.0
months (current)
Cases pending
4,212
FY receipts
5,001
FY dispositions
3,139
Active judges
12
Video hearings
6%
of hearings held
Avg approval rate
53.5%
-4.3 vs avg
Backlog ratio
1.59
Growing
Rank
#61
of 160
Processing time in context
Fastest · 72 daysAvg · 266 daysSlowest · 680 days
The draw · approval spread across 11 judges
32%
84%
0%Median 51.7%100%
At HOUSTON WEST, approval rates range from 31.8% (Matthews, Kelly) to 84.0% (Strong, Helen F) — a 52-pointspread. Assignment is effectively the luck of the draw, so the judge a case lands with can matter more than the office’s average. Plan for the median (51.7%), not the best case.
Judges at HOUSTON WEST (12)
| Judge | Approval | Decisions | Favorable | Denied | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strong, Helen F | 84.0% | 213 | 179 | 34 | |
| Suing, Timothy | 77.3% | 22 | 17 | 5 | |
| Bach, Laura | 67.6% | 321 | 217 | 104 | |
| Burdette, Robert | 64.2% | 324 | 208 | 116 | |
| Wyatt, Kimberly O. | 58.6% | 133 | 78 | 55 | |
| Eason, Kimani R | 55.9% | 313 | 175 | 138 | |
| Mendola, Mark | 51.7% | 174 | 90 | 84 | |
| Gilbert, Richard A | 51.7% | 333 | 172 | 161 | |
| Boyle, Solomon | 50.7% | 221 | 112 | 109 | |
| Bennett, Vincent | 36.7% | 245 | 90 | 155 | |
| Beers, Caroline | 33.2% | 277 | 92 | 185 | |
| Matthews, Kelly | 31.8% | 245 | 78 | 167 |