Information in this guide is subject to change at any time. The TDHCA runs the Texas Rent Relief program. Those most affected by the pandemic and its economic devastation low-wage workers, Black and Latino Texans, and rural communities are also the least likely to have internet at home. We have more than $1 million of unpaid rent dating back to March of last year, said Ian Mattingly, president of LumaCorp, which manages about 7,000 rental apartments in Texas. 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. Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG), HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning), Machine Tools, Metalworking and Metallurgy, Aboriginal, First Nations & Native American, https://texaslawhelp.org/eviction-referral, Texas Utility Help Program Receives More Energy Bill Assistance Funding, Expands Water Bill Assistance with Future Payments, Texas Utility Help Program Re-Opens Energy Bill Assistance. Tenants who are eligible for an Additional Funding Request may submit requests for rental and utility assistance for the current month and two future months. As much as we work to mitigate human error, the potential for application errors exists. 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. trailer <]/Prev 155979>> startxref 0 %%EOF 48 0 obj <>stream Altogether, about $2 billion of the federal rental and utility assistance funds approved by Congress last year were earmarked for Texas. Utilities, Clothing for Children, Employment assistance services. You can even upload documents for an attorney to review. Scott and her husband had fallen behind on rent in June after Scott stopped working to take care of her youngest daughter, who has Down syndrome, and the medical bills piled up. April 8, 2022 ;+h-WZXi ZrzOK4-X6~PR,JtV J5G! Lifestyle We look at Texas Tech's award-winning magazine. For the past year, housing advocates have been pointing to the slow-rolling housing crisis brought on by the pandemic. Whoops! New applications are not being accepted. This website allows you to ask a lawyer a legal question in writing for free. I think any landlord that accepted money or got money directly for rent absolutely should not have evicted anyone, Garcia said. Eligible households can apply online or over the phone for first-time or additional program assistance. Starting October 10, 2022, all new utility assistance payments are issued directly to the tenant to ensure timely and accurate utility assistance payments. In late March she started a new job teaching at an early learning center. Find a complete list of them here. Since their October eviction from their Katy apartment, Scott and her four children have lived in hotels and other temporary settings. Apr 20, 2021 Like Dislike Share Save Texas Department of Housing & Community Affairs 2.97K subscribers The Texas Rent Relief program can provide utility and rental assistance to. Rosales said shes heard landlords say at eviction court that they're already so frustrated and tired by the slow pace and confusing nature of rental assistance programs that theyd rather evict tenants than hold out for assistance. It got off to a rocky start when it signed up just a few hundred people in the first few months. Interests 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. Johnson had asked the office manager whether they had received the latest check, she said. Housing experts say they expect expiration of the eviction rules will make the already spotty protections of the eviction moratorium even more unevenly applied. A Texas rent relief program has been plagued by problems. Since being evicted from their home in Katy, Cherice Scott and her four children have lived in hotels and other temporary settings, most recently a short-term rental in Missouri City. The Texas Rent Relief program was set up to help people pay their bills. from 8 AM - 9 PM ET. Weve been expecting there to be aid [for renters] for months and months so there should have been a plan in place.. 3/11/2021 Funding Update: $918,238,535 available 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. Access Invoices & ReceiptsRequest W9Questions & Special Requests, Update Your ProfileRequest Company Name ChangeAdding/Removing EmployeesFrequently Asked QuestionsContact Us, Mailing Address2401 E 6th St, Ste 3037, PMB 153Austin, TX 78702Email UsPhone: 512-476-9901, Aug 20, 2021 | COVID19, Latest News, Newsletter. After submitting, applicants should watch for communication from TRR in case additional information is needed for application. Please reload the page and try again. Texas Housing Conference But she still hasnt found a place to live. All Rights Reserved.. Plano Dentist Pleaded Guilty To COVID-19-Related Fraud, $22.8 Million Grant To Help Prevent Homelessness In Dallas And Collin Counties, North Texas Judge Blocks Student Loan Forgiveness, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. x]s6(4A y;4N}PmT\INvB/$( In March 2022, Texas Rent Relief received additional funding to the tune of $47.8 million from the U.S. Treasury Department. Disclosure: The Texas Apartment Association has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Two months later, Scott received an email acknowledging her complaint but said she hasnt heard back since. Texas closed the rent relief program to new applicants in November, citing overwhelming demand for rental assistance dollars. 0000030230 00000 n 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. 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. And if they did, it should be audited and reviewed by [government investigators] so that we can recoup our funds for the misuse of the dollars.. Of the maximum $65,000 available per household, up to $10,000 can be used for utility assistance (inclusive of past due balance and prospective assistance). 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. 0000002863 00000 n Theres no excuse, Rosales said. They may also request assistance with any arrears that have not already been covered by previous TRR assistance or another provider, so long as the total months of assistance for each type of assistance (for example, rent, gas, water, etc.) We've provided over $2B in emergency funds to help Texas renters pay rent and utility bills (including past due rent and utilities). All rights reserved. In June, Gates said she lost her job after she missed a week of work because of a medical problem. 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. AUSTIN - The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) announced it will re-open the Texas Rent Relief (TRR) application portal from March 14-28 in order to accept new applications for a remaining $96M in TRR funds. 4 0 obj Applicants that have received help from the program before but have not received the maximum of 18 months of assistance allowed, can submit an additional funding request using their existing online user account. Falsification of documents or any material falsehoods or omissions in an Application to this program, including knowingly seeking duplicative benefits, is subject to state and federal criminal penalties. Scott said she complained to a program staffer in October about her landlords conduct, and the staffer referred the complaint to the programs anti-fraud division. In these cases, payments will be made directly to the tenant, who then is required to pay the landlord. I"OqC)RrQBY( ,VN?4Tmj|e@O)&$O&WrVRKT0X5Vrs'O. {wKPK?c- C <=fL5h|'(d-$7(r ~9 qFP9v8i-LKp Nx@`{>-aB58c$f_Q. I shouldnt have.. SACRAMENTO - California's COVID-19 Rent Relief Program is reaching a significant milestone today - by the end of the day, more than $1 billion in funding will be obligated - meaning the money has either been paid or approved for payment and awaiting disbursement - and will assist over 74,000 additional households. 0000088009 00000 n This Plano family got evicted after the Texas Rent Relief program paid the wrong landlord. I trusted them, Scott said. The program was originally launched in February 2021 and is administered by the Emergency Rental Assistance Program Funds from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, a federal effort to mitigate the affordable housing crisis exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. For checking the Texas rent relief application status, you can either go online or call them up at 1-833-989-7368. 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. Top Listings While many have gone back to work, the unemployment rate remains significantly higher than it was before the pandemic. Texas has nearly $692 million available through its statewide rent relief program. Member Grand Openings (MEMBERS ONLY) 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. Home To request this information, please contact us toll-free at 833-9TX-RENT (833-989-7368). It is kind of a miracle that they are able to do it.. This tool helps find state and local rent and utility assistance near your location. I did everything right, and to still have my stuff thrown down the street its just something that Im still trying to process, Gates said. Cherice Scotts son, 6-year-old Teegan McKinney, plays at a park in Houston. UPDATE: Accepting New Applications For Limited Time, March 14-28, 2023. 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. 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. 0000001407 00000 n P.O. We continue to see a strong need for assistance, and eviction filings statewide have now returned to pre-pandemic levels. pk}b=^ ;+2b4+rU:"KOJF&. This news article provides an overview of the Texas Public Utilities Commission's recent order and how it will affect customers in Texas. Release of information or other details will be required under some circumstances.