Applications to the relief program can be submitted beginning March 14. 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. The statewide program doled out more than $1.2 billion to 212,344 households. 0000030653 00000 n To get that protection, you'll need to attest on a declaration form that you meet a few requirements, such as that you earned less than $99,000 in 2020 or 2021. He took the car, which made it difficult for Scott to hunt for work and shelter. 2023 Local Profile is a registered trademark of Community Profile LLC. Last note, I was approved for 12 months back rent pay and 3 months forward, so I am receiving help for 15 months total. For more information about fair housing, funding opportunities, or services in your area, please visitwww.tdhca.state.tx.usor theLearn about Fair Housing in Texaspage. The Texas Rent Relief Program will shut down its application portal at 5 p.m. on Friday. As of July 26, more than 95,000 households have received assistance from the Texas Rent Relief Program, and almost $600 million in relief has been paid out, according to the TDHCA. % Johnson, a manager of a hair salon and certified nursing assistant, had asked the program in October for help covering rent while she recovered from giving birth to her son and couldnt work. Feb 27, 2023. As a nonprofit newsroom, we rely on members to help keep our stories free and our events open to the public. Housing experts say they expect expiration of the eviction rules will make the already spotty protections of the eviction moratorium even more unevenly applied. 0000047797 00000 n 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. Landlord Application Information. Northwest Assistance Ministries: 281-583-5600. An employee at Blazers office who answered the phone declined to answer questions. Info about the decision to end the program and eviction diversion is included as well. If you need assistance with a previously submitted application, our customer service staff can assist you by phone by calling 1-833-9TX-RENT (1-833-989-7368). stream But she still hasnt found a place to live. Shes impressed by how many do persevere. All TDHCA employees and contractor employees have a responsibility to report waste, fraud and abuse within the agency. At a time when newsroom resources and revenue across the country are declining, The Texas Tribune remains committed to sustaining our mission: creating a more engaged and informed Texas with every story we cover, every event we convene and every newsletter we send. Despite that, the property manager told Musselman they wanted to proceed with the case, Gates said. All applications will be processed in the order they are received, giving priority to those households facing evictions. Newly homeless, Gates stood on the curb in the cold guarding her belongings until a friend could get off work to help her move them. Other program limitations may also apply please see https://www.tdhca.state.tx.us/covid19-response.htm for details. Need to stay updated on coronavirus news in Texas? The state has already launched a website for the program, where both landlords and tenants facing a pile of bills will be able to apply starting at 8 a.m. Monday. Payment cannot be released until 90 days after the initial disbursement date; however, be advised that review and approval timelines will often exceed 90 days from the last disbursement. Texas Rent Relief Program We look at Texas Tech's award-winning magazine. The money was considered crucial to prevent a wave of tenants losing their homes as eviction bans expired; in recent months, three Texas metro areas Houston, Dallas and Fort Worth have seen some of the highest eviction case filings in the country among the 31 cities tracked by Eviction Lab, a research center based at Princeton University that tracks eviction filings. KERA also reached out to Gov. 3/11/2021 Funding Update: $918,238,535 available The Texas Rent Relief Program provides emergency funds available to help Texas renters pay rent and utility bills (including past due rent and utilities). The details for each program are available below. 0000010218 00000 n 3 0 obj Calls to Musemeche were not returned. At a Jan. 10 eviction hearing, Gates said she told Williamson County Justice of the Peace KT Musselman she had been approved for rent relief and explained that the check went to the wrong address facts she said the property manager, who represented the landlord in court, backed up. However, Tarrant County's Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP), along with programs administered by the cities of Arlington and Fort Worth, will . Mailbag: Evermore. Landlords can get up to 15 months of rent paid through this program, but only if they don't evict. While hes cautiously optimistic that the Texas Rent Relief programs problems have largely been addressed, fundamental questions remain unanswered. Sign up here. the Emergency Rental Assistance Program in Texas. Its peoples lives at stake here, because when evictions happen, their lives are torn apart. 0000068016 00000 n The state of Texas has more than one billion dollars to give out to people who need help paying their bills. 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. 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. Johnsons trying not to dwell on the saga. 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. 0000003018 00000 n Payment in Process Good news! If you need help paying rent in Katy, or other financial assistance, reach out to Katy Christian Ministries for more information on their programs. Sharing of Certifications: As outlined in the Tenant and Landlord certifications, the program may share a copy of the tenant, landlord, or utility provider certification with the tenant applicant, a user approved by the tenant, or an associated landlord or utility provider, as well as counsel for any of these parties. These landlords are the prime beneficiary of these rental assistance programs and just en masse have been violating the provisions of the programs and on top of that consistently misleading judges and securing judgments and evictions, even when theyre receiving funds.. Scott had landed a new job as a dietician at a local hospital when she returned from work one afternoon in early October to find most of her belongings spread out on the lawn and the locks changed. Applicants that have received help from the program before but have not received the maximum of 18 months of assistance allowed, can submit an additional funding request using their existing online user account. 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. But Johnsons victory was short-lived. Cherice Scotts son, 6-year-old Teegan McKinney, plays at a park in Houston. To a question about whether the application website is mobile-friendly, he replied, its mobile-compatible. Payment in Progress If your request has been approved Tenant and landlord, if participating, will receive email notifying of approval and, separately, to set up payment in Bill.com. Applications in this set-aside will be processed first to decrease application processing time and increase the likelihood of evictions being diverted. Eligible households can apply for assistance online at TexasRentRelief.com or over the phone by calling the TRR call center at 833-9TX-RENT (833-989-7368). I shouldnt have.. Legislative Updates (MEMBERS ONLY) Funds may not still be available by the time a household applies. All Rights Reserved.. Plano Dentist Pleaded Guilty To COVID-19-Related Fraud, $22.8 Million Grant To Help Prevent Homelessness In Dallas And Collin Counties, North Texas Judge Blocks Student Loan Forgiveness, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. How are landlords going to have faith in a rental relief program, and how are they going to hang on their tenants when this is happening? Rosales said. The same day, her landlord told Johnson her lease wouldnt be renewed when it expired the following week, she said. TAAHP does not facilitate applications for affordable housing. Past due, current and up to 2 months of expected rent costs, Past due, current and up to 2 months of expected utility and home energy expenses, After the initial 3 months of current/future assistance, renters were able to apply for 3 additional months of assistance if funds were still available, If you suspect fraud, waste or abuse please call, View the Texas Rent Relief Program Dashboard (Dashboard in English), https://www.tdhca.state.tx.us/covid19-response.htm. Updated: 8 AM Central. 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. Two landlords, like Scotts, evicted their tenants in the period between the initial rent relief application and when the government money arrived and then kept it an apparent violation of the programs requirements for landlords. 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. Texas Rent Relief Program has $96M remaining to help Texans affected by the pandemic. Mar 1, 2023. events. Lifestyle New applications are not being accepted. Member Grand Openings (MEMBERS ONLY) 30j($>H&L&Q.]Ky,YIR _I@*v+ The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs also offers a website about this program. 0000001467 00000 n 0000020271 00000 n Mon: 8 to 5pm. 0000009860 00000 n Under the program rules, landlords are allowed to evict only in specific situations, such as lease violations related to criminal activity, property damage or physical harm to others, Mintz pointed out. 0000012097 00000 n Housing advocates acknowledge the challenges of standing up such a massive program, but Christina Rosales from the group Texas Housers said theres a larger issue at play here: As a state, Texas regularly fails to focus its vast resources on helping people in the midst of a disaster. Let the judge know if any of these things have happened. Our Legal Help guide has information on free legal hotlines, legal clinics, and legal aid organizations, as well as information on how to find a lawyer who could represent you. When typing in this field, a list of search results will appear and be automatically updated as you type. Many people, especially women, have been unable to work because of child care responsibilities. It got off to a rocky start when it signed up just a few hundred people in the first few months. Many landlords have tried to work with their tenants to try to avoid evictions for back rent during the pandemic, said David Mintz, vice president of government affairs for Texas Apartment Association, a trade group of rental property owners. Scotts former landlord Blazer Real Estate Services, a Houston property management company did not respond to calls and emails requesting comment. ?$.#jq&LS1-b'u)N 2@x{'Y( V7\T ;z6!EDg"AGbDdWo,/si,TZp em;82os"zrD QV~ns+8ce1|NV ;H@>I]\IjA $_BM (2`n,e072 #q9u_)&er&s9%\!_kE\^9, Lone Star Legal Aid is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit law firm focused on advocacy for low-income and underserved populations. A switch to a new software caused system outages and forced applicants to reapply. Faced with a pot of federal money larger than the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs' annual budget, the state agency contracted Houston-based management consultancy Horne LLP to run the Texas Rent Relief program, agreeing to pay the company more than $42 million. Utility Payment Program Provides assistance to eligible Texas homeowners with qualified hardships to pay past due utility bills and up to three (3) months of prospective payments. 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. "Funding is limited, so anyone who needs help paying their rent and utility bills should review the program requirements now, gather all the necessary paperwork ahead of time, and be ready to apply on March 14.". For checking the Texas rent relief application status, you can either go online or call them up at 1-833-989-7368. Ask us! Tenants in New Units: Tenants who are living at a new address may request funds through the AFR process for the rent expenses of the new primary residence. After weeks of phone calls, a Texas Rent Relief program staffer told Scott that her former landlord had indeed received the rent relief money in mid-November more than $11,000, enough to cover the six months back rent they owed. In June, Gates said she lost her job after she missed a week of work because of a medical problem. State Bar of Texas Lawyer Referral Service, Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA), NLIHC COVID-19 State and Local Rental Assistance, Housing Legal Advice Hotline (St. Mary's School of Law), Nearly 600,000 Texans Will Lose Access to a Program That Prevented Electricity Shut-Offs During the Pandemic on Oct. 1 (8/27/2020), Texas Regulators Vote to Ban Residential Utility Shut-Offs During Pandemic While Buoying Companies (3/26/2020), Please take our patron satisfaction survey. Other organizations That help paying rent in Houston. TDHCA has provided the following updates regarding the program: ADDITIONAL FUNDING REQUESTS (AFR) INFORMATION. All rights reserved. Were adding added significant resources to attack the backlog and get the money out the door. Hope this timeline helps someone! Job Listings 0000098112 00000 n What do I do? 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. Even now, despite our challenges, were ahead of most states in processing applications and making payments, Wilkinson testified, comparing Texas to other large states like California and Florida. Residents of McNair, Baytown, Highlands or Chambers County. And only 250 payments have been sent. There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. A spokesperson did not respond to the request for comment. 2401 E 6th Street, Ste 3037, PMB 153, Austin, TX 78702. This tool helps find state and local rent and utility assistance near your location. Governor Abbott and TDHCA launched the Texas Rent Relief program in February 2021 the first statewide rent and utility assistance program for qualifying households throughout Texas. The idea of landlords taking rent relief dollars and still evicting tenants is outrageous, she said, and could warrant investigation. Johnsons lawyer recorded the call. As much as we work to mitigate human error, the potential for application errors exists. Once the application is submitted, applicants need to remain alert for emails or calls from TDHCAs representatives who could ask for additional information. Community Show us with your support. Subscribe to recieve Local Profile email updates every Monday and Thursday. In these cases, payments will be made directly to the tenant, who then is required to pay the landlord. TDHCA announced that they would be accepting new applications in March of 2023 to distribute the remaining funds. All those folks acted in good faith on something that we offered them, that theyre by definition entitled toand by some sort of error, theyre not getting the relief that they need, and then the state Supreme Court let its rules around the eviction moratorium lapse, Bernal said. 5309 Decker Dr. 281.424.5752. Payment is in process. Johnson had asked the office manager whether they had received the latest check, she said. The Texas Rent Relief Program was launched by TDHCA on February 15th to solve this problem and bring relief to millions across the United States. 0000002022 00000 n Evaluating the. Its unclear whether landlords face any penalties from state agencies for improperly evicting tenants while receiving rent relief dollars intended to help those tenants stay housed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to 2019, there was often confusion about what counted as a "reasonable" late fee. . To help with emergency housing needs, HAP has two components: rental assistance and relocation assistance for qualified households facing housing instability. Falsification of documents or any material falsehoods or omissions in an Application to this program, including knowingly seeking duplicative benefits, is subject to state and federal criminal penalties. Now, with a remaining $96 million in rent relief funds, the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) re-opened the Texas Rent Relief Program (TRR) and online applications through the portal will be accepted for a limited time from March 14 to 28. Most went into the statewide Texas Rent Relief program, and the rest when to city and county governments. Of the roughly 200 that have completed applications, only two have been approved for funding. But the tenants are still the ones holding the bag.. He oversees the state's executive branch, including the housing and community affairs department. They were very well informed that that money was there and it was coming to them, said Scott, whos now living in a short-term rental in Missouri City with her four kids. by Christopher Connelly, KERA News The state-level program meant to help both Texas renters impacted financially by the pandemic and their landlords announced Thursday morning that it would stop taking new applications for . Reporting: On February 15, 2023 Treasury released ERA1 & ERA2 Quarterly Demographic Data for Q1 2021 through Q3 2022; January 2023. 2023 Texas Affiliation of Affordable Housing Providers. Texas' rent relief program has been plagued by problems that slow payments and could prompt evictions According to a legislative report, of the 176,000 people who have begun applications. This story has been updated to include comments from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. At the federal level, that job falls to the U.S. Treasury Departments Office of Inspector General. Is there any communication that were making, saying we messed up, give us a minute and give them a minute so that we can get them the relief that they need, and everyone will be made whole in a few weeks? Bernal asked. Approvals have. The rent relief checks cleared RDRHs bank account on Feb. 4 less than two weeks after Gates was evicted.
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