Some households will still qualify for the program while others will not. . hb``b``yX01 $J|*]gw"sq7X>6>^`hD"0Q{in00 Y? ` q endstream endobj 5 0 obj <> endobj 6 0 obj <>/ExtGState<>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text]/XObject<>>>/Rotate 0/TrimBox[0.0 0.0 792.0 612.0]/Type/Page>> endobj 7 0 obj <> endobj 8 0 obj <> endobj 9 0 obj [/ICCBased 22 0 R] endobj 10 0 obj [/Separation/Red 9 0 R<>] endobj 11 0 obj <> endobj 12 0 obj <>stream The landlord participates in the tenant's application for rent relief, or 3. Eligibility For tenants: Household income at or below 80% of Area Median Income (AMI) Household has been financially affected by COVID-19 pandemic For landlords: Assistance for rent no older than April 2020 The Housing Assistance Program (HAP)* provides financial assistance to renters experiencing emergency hardships from COVID-19 and to keep families in their homes. But none of the agencies contacted by the Tribune would say whether any landlord has been credibly accused of taking rent relief money and improperly ousting their tenants, or whether they have imposed penalties on landlords for doing so. For checking the Texas rent relief application status, you can either go online or call them up at 1-833-989-7368. 0000030230 00000 n <>/ExtGState<>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/Annots[ 12 0 R] /MediaBox[ 0 0 792 612] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>> Utilities, Clothing for Children, Employment assistance services. At the height of the pandemic in 2020, Gates, a 42-year-old Round Rock resident, saw her hours as a temp working in guest services at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport cut in half, and by January 2021 she was behind on rent for her two-bedroom apartment. To a question about whether the application website is mobile-friendly, he replied, its mobile-compatible. from 8 AM - 9 PM ET. 0000088009 00000 n Mar 1, 2023. events. Member Newsletters (MEMBERS ONLY) We continue to see a strong need for assistance, and eviction filings statewide have now returned to pre-pandemic levels. 0000048055 00000 n To receive help from Katy Christian Ministries you must live in one of the following zip codes: 77084, 77094, 77406, 77423, 77441, 77449, 77450, 77464, 77476, 77485, 77493, 77494 Failure to respond would only delay the application process. TDHCA announced that they would be accepting new applications in March of 2023 to distribute the remaining funds. 0000020158 00000 n There have been nearly 50,000 eviction filings in Houston since the beginning of the pandemic. Home ownership Were adding added significant resources to attack the backlog and get the money out the door. They lose their jobs, they lose their health, they have trouble with their relationships, they have trouble getting back on their feet, said Christina Rosales, deputy director for the advocacy group Texas Housers. The first payment never came because they had a Covid outbreak. If tenants feel they have been unjustly evicted, they can appeal the eviction, Mintz said. What is clear is that a lot of Texans could use the help of the Texas Rent Relief program. If the agency finds the allegations are credible, it can refer the cases to the state auditors office, the Treasurys inspector general or local law enforcement agencies. Fo;o7d0ywL|JR!xM%|{GGk#x5OOs=cj ldk6yQhvuFPH:A3w7p^km,xa5qJCzGn` Qm;\]RR)RfZzua!v" ExqKgp?NLR}.ka2`Rpbtm!#9#OF4?1B&|2ousE?-u@[2d(K8&8 \l=>` 0000017510 00000 n TDHCA announced that they would be accepting new applications in March of 2023 to distribute the remaining funds. You cant have it both ways with Texas Rent Relief, Stamm said. Her former landlord had taken the rent relief funds after they evicted her. Diana Johnson, 35, was waiting on rent relief in January when her landlord tried to evict her and her seven children from their three-bedroom apartment in Southeast Dallas. TDHCA has provided the following updates regarding the program: ADDITIONAL FUNDING REQUESTS (AFR) INFORMATION. Find programs to help you with rent or utility payments, help you find a rent-reduced apartment, help you find emergency housing or homeless shelters, and more. Monday-Friday 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. CST Help is available in multiple languages. Many people, especially women, have been unable to work because of child care responsibilities. For households who applied directly for unpaid or future rent or utilities. Lq]0BLaOy\s^ADJ| Landlord associated with the application will receive an email notification of . Mailbag: Evermore. Avenue 360 (formerly Bearing Omega and Houston Area Community Services) Web. I shouldnt have.. In late January 2023, Local Profile reported that starting this March, the Food and Nutrition Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture planned to cut SNAPs COVID-19 emergency benefits, adding even more pressure on families who are struggling with rising rents and inflation pushing up prices. We're thankful for the opportunity to re-open the application portal for two weeks to help more Texas tenants and landlords," said Bobby Wilkinson, TDHCA Executive Director. The TRR application portal goes live Tuesday, March 14 at 8 a.m. and ends Tuesday, March 28 at 11:59 p.m. to help eligible households with rent and utility payments. The public is also invited to share such concerns. According to CW33, TDHCA executive director, Bobby Wilkinson advised those applying to gather all necessary paperwork ahead of time to have them ready by March 14, 2023, when applications will open. Print Feedback. This website allows you to ask a lawyer a legal question in writing for free. If your landlord breaks their agreement with the Texas Rent Relief program, you may file a complaint with the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. The Texas Rent Relief (TRR) program provides Texas tenants with financial help with rent and utility bills. Home This interactive map and searchable database from the National Low Income Housing Coalition can be used to find state and local emergency rental assistance programs near you. Alexander Stamm, an attorney with Texas RioGrande Legal Aid who is representing Gates, said Musselman shouldnt have let the trial take place at all because of a Texas Supreme Court order requiring judges to postpone eviction cases if a landlord confirms they have joined a tenants application for rent relief. Since the program launched in February 2021, TRR has provided over $2 billion in emergency funds for rent and utility relief, served 250 Texas counties and prevented evictions for over 21,000 households. As of last week, $20.1 million in rent relief has been recaptured, TDHCA spokesperson Kristina Tirloni said, adding that not all of that was connected to allegations of fraud, waste or abuse. I am amazed at the strength and resilience that these folks have to figure out how to get on the internet, when they dont have internet at home, and their resourcefulness in getting rent relief at this point, she said. If a landlord is not paid, the payment will be made directly to the tenant. You cant get paid directly, and also break the promises you made that were designed to keep someone in their home.. The next month, their landlord started the eviction process, even though Scott, 37, had taken the rental office staffs advice and requested help from Texas $2 billion, federally backed rental assistance fund. This story has been updated to include comments from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. No New Applications Accepted All TDHCA employees and contractor employees have a responsibility to report waste, fraud and abuse within the agency. Federal aid has gotten to only a fraction of Texans applying for assistance because they're behind on rent and trying to avoid being evicted. Software problems left the program struggling and spotty, with tenants and landlords complaining of accessibility problems, unanswered phone calls and the inability to check the status of an application, according to the report. To qualify for rental assistance from the Texas program, tenants had to fall below a certain income level, prove they experienced some kind of financial hardship during the pandemic and make the case that they would be at risk of losing their home if they didnt receive rent relief. Lee Reznicek, a property manager who oversees Gates former home for Austin-based Hill Country Property Management, declined to comment when reached by email. 0000009860 00000 n Perhaps it goes without saying but producing quality journalism isn't cheap. If you or someone you know still needs help with the rent relief process or pending eviction, you can apply for free legal help at https://www.lonestarlegal.org or by calling 1-800-733-8394. Events / Networking Opportunities by Christopher Connelly, KERA News Sign up here. Two months later, Scott received an email acknowledging her complaint but said she hasnt heard back since. I trusted them, Scott said. endobj She said the past few months have been hard. The state received another $47 million in March, which TDHCA said would go toward helping tenants who applied before the November cutoff. Request for assistance has been verified and approved. The email and template I was provided: Support@texasrentrelief.com Subject: Your Tenant case id. Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) Section 8 housing voucher Low-income residents may be eligible to get help paying rent. Texas received more than $2 billion out of the American Rescue Plan Act, the $1.9 trillion federal stimulus package President Joe Biden signed into law last year, to set up the Texas Rent. In our view, the judge made a mistake letting the trial proceed as soon as [the property manager] confirmed that the owner had a pending application for rental assistance, Stamm said in an email. Funds may not still be available by the time a household applies. The Texas Rent Relief Program will shut down its application portal at 5 p.m. on Friday. These funds may be disbursed to either tenants or landlords. On Wednesday, the head of the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs took questions from lawmakers about the troubled rollout of the program. The Texas Rent Relief Program, a COVID-19 emergency rental assistance program administered by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA), will be receiving an additional $47.8 million to help address the backlog of assistance requests. New applications are not being accepted. The Texas Rent Relief Program will be run by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. Weeks after her eviction, Scott received an email from Texas Rent Relief on Nov. 9 acknowledging that it had initially sent the check to the wrong address. Housing experts say they expect expiration of the eviction rules will make the already spotty protections of the eviction moratorium even more unevenly applied. Info about the decision to end the program and eviction diversion is included as well. To request this information, please contact us toll-free at 833-9TX-RENT (833-989-7368). Texas Housing Conference I am being evicted for not paying rent. 0000003417 00000 n Anticipated time to receive payment: 7-14 days Request for assistance has been denied. See our Eviction page for information on the CDC's eviction moratorium and other eviction topics. In these cases, payments will be made directly to the tenant, who then is required to pay the landlord. In February, Texas launched a program to help people who had missed rent payments because of the pandemic. On January 24,2023, Treasury released the reallocation amounts for ERA2 Quarter 2 General Pool Reallocation and Designated Voluntary Reallocations; Guidance: On January 5, 2023 Treasury published an updated version of the ERA1 . As of Wednesday, the program has assisted more than 300,000 households. I hope everyone gets the assistance that they need. Our evening roundup will help you stay on top of the day's latest updates. 0000008211 00000 n Texas law allows landlords to collect "reasonable" late fees if any portion of the rent remains unpaid more than two full days after it was due. But those are the exact grounds that RDRH Holdings cited when it sued to evict Gates, Stamm said. The industry standard here is fraud, said Stuart Campbell, managing attorney at Dallas Eviction Advocacy Center, speaking generally about instances in which landlords receive rent relief funds and evict tenants. Updated information and a lease for the new unit will be required in the AFR application. The program was originally launched in February 2021 and is administered by the . 0000001196 00000 n 0000078063 00000 n Body: Case ID. The Texas Rent Relief program was set up to help people pay their bills. 0000047797 00000 n QAP Alerts (MEMBERS ONLY) If issues are discovered or brought to our attention, like payments sent to an incorrect address, or payments sent to a landlord who has evicted the tenant, we will take corrective measures, like recapture or other necessary steps.. Researchers have offered estimates of past-due rent in the U.S. ranging from $8.4 billion to $52.6 billion. Sign up for our Friends of TAAHP email list to learn more about TAAHP, critical industry issues, and hear about upcoming event and education opportunities. 0000058095 00000 n You can also get financial assistance for rent, food, and other expenses by turning to other organizations. A group of Austin-area lawmakers state Reps. Celia Israel, Sheryl Cole, Vikki Goodwin, Gina Hinojosa, Donna Howard and Eddie Rodriguez alerted TDHCA this week that they have seen alarming calls from constituents whose rent relief money went to the wrong address, and called on the agency to fix the problem. 0000005047 00000 n Questions? Founded in 1997, the Texas Affiliation of Affordable Housing Providers (TAAHP) is a non-profit trade association serving as the primary advocate and leading resource for the affordable housing industry in Texas. In each expanded section, there are . Click Here For Information about Accepting Payments. Need to stay updated on coronavirus news in Texas? During the hearing, lawmakers pressed Wilkinson on a number of issues. ;+h-WZXi ZrzOK4-X6~PR,JtV J5G! Policy and Regulatory Updates (MEMBERS ONLY) We strive to always do better, Tirloni said in an email. The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs is committed to expanding fair housing choice and opportunities for Texans through the administration and funding of affordable housing and homeownership opportunities, weatherization, and community-based services with the help of for-profits, nonprofits, and local governments. Nov. 9, 2021 - (Tarrant County) - As of Friday, Nov. 5 at 5 p.m., the Texas Rent Relief Program (TRR), the State of Texas' rental assistance program, stopped accepting applications. Just as the program launched, the state was hit with the massive winter storm in February, which sidelined a third of the contracted phone operators for days, the report said. While applications can be made online through the programs portal, the TDHCA call center at (833) 9TX-RENT (833-989-7368) will be available to submit applications over the phone.
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