This Plano family got evicted after the Texas Rent Relief program paid the wrong landlord. As a nonprofit newsroom, we rely on members to help keep our stories free and our events open to the public. 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. Donate to join or renew today. 0000020271 00000 n Are you a Texas resident looking for affordable housing? 0000088072 00000 n The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs also offers a website about this program. First-time TRR applicants may be eligible for up to 18 months of rent and utility bill assistance, either with past due payments or a combination of past due and up to three months of current and future payments made on their behalf. For checking the Texas rent relief application status, you can either go online or call them up at 1-833-989-7368. 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. In her case, the check arrived in time but went to the wrong place. After submitting, applicants should watch for communication from TRR in case additional information is needed for application. The Apartment Association of Greater Dallas has compiled a list of state and local rental assistance programs. 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. 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. Top Listings When Dallas County Justice of the Peace Juan Jasso heard about the check and phone call, he asked the property manager whether they had received the check, Johnson said. In February, Texas launched a program to help people who had missed rent payments because of the pandemic. On Jan. 27, Williamson County constables came to execute the eviction. The details for each program are available below. If a landlord is not paid, the payment will be made directly to the tenant. We are learning more about why there are delays in the. 0000020386 00000 n In late March she started a new job teaching at an early learning center. Things To Do 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. Weve been expecting there to be aid [for renters] for months and months so there should have been a plan in place.. And a large and growing percentage of that is over a year old at this point.. To a question about whether the application website is mobile-friendly, he replied, its mobile-compatible. 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. Texas Coronavirus Relief Bill Rental Assistance Program administered by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. 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. In order to collect this late fee, the landlord must have included notice of it in a written lease. He oversees the state's executive branch, including the housing and community affairs department. I think any landlord that accepted money or got money directly for rent absolutely should not have evicted anyone, Garcia said. Texas Housing Conference r.t)gfv9~;Y>)?4{(gbx|/Ipv.8|0a(#0`~GhFc=pxr1{YpG0 April 7, 20215 PM Central. Questions? 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. Advocacy Alerts Lq]0BLaOy\s^ADJ| 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. No New Applications Accepted 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. Mon: 8 to 5pm. Copyright by the Texas State Law Library. Business The program was originally launched in February 2021 and is administered by the . In June, Gates said she lost her job after she missed a week of work because of a medical problem. The morning of her March 18 eviction hearing, a Texas Rent Relief staffer told Johnson that her landlord had cashed the check two days earlier and gave her the check number. Returning applicants who have not received the maximum allowed 18 months of assistance for rent and/or utility bills can submit an Additional Funding Request via their existing online user account. Wilkinson told the House Committee on Urban Affairs that a few hundred more people had had payments sent to them over the past week, and that two additional contractors and hundreds of new analysts were being added to work through the backlog of applications. 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. The state is using the more than $1 billion in money from the latest federal COVID-19. According to a legislative report, of the 176,000 people who have begun applications for rental assistance, just over 1,000 have had their applications approved. The State Auditors Office declined to say whether it has launched any investigations into potential fraud, waste and abuse of the program. The state's $1.9 billion rental assistance program, which launched during the pandemic, has helped more . 2 '.&& ,f1. Both the federal and state government added enforcement provisions when they created the rent relief programs. The program will also have a call . 2n -.-&) 1 1 By clicking the plus sign by one of the listed programs, the page will expand and provide the full details of that program. "To date, Texas Rent Relief has served . Perhaps it goes without saying but producing quality journalism isn't cheap. 0000058032 00000 n When Congress set aside more than $46 billion for emergency rental assistance, they intended for that money to keep people in their homes, said U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia, a Democrat from Houston. 0000068079 00000 n About the Texas Rent Relief Program Both landlords and tenants were able to use this website to create an account and submit their application. Arts + Culture 2401 E 6th Street, Ste 3037, PMB 153, Austin, TX 78702. If you have evidence, be sure to bring it to court. the Emergency Rental Assistance Program in Texas. Thieves had walked off with their electronics. I hope everyone gets the assistance that they need. Altogether, about $2 billion of the federal rental and utility assistance funds approved by Congress last year were earmarked for Texas. 0000009860 00000 n But Johnsons victory was short-lived. The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) created this COVID-19 relief program in February of 2021. But I dont want to give up.. Our constituents experienced significant unreliability during an already challenging set of circumstances, all the while, both renters and landlords alike had unclear direction from TDHCA for weeks or months if and when the approved funds would finally arrive, the lawmakers wrote. Our vision is to inspire and engage our members and stakeholders to end the affordable housing crisis in Texas. It got off to a rocky start when it signed up just a few hundred people in the first few months. This guide is updated to reflect information pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic. Members in the News (MEMBERS ONLY) Reporting: On February 15, 2023 Treasury released ERA1 & ERA2 Quarterly Demographic Data for Q1 2021 through Q3 2022; January 2023. I trusted them, Scott said. Its awesome. The Texas Rent Relief Program is an opportunity to get up to 12 months of back due rent and even secure up to three months of future rent stability for tenants, as well as utility assistance. This time period has been shortened based on direction from the Department of Treasury. Those facing eviction should seek legal assistance, go to their eviction hearing, and stay in communication with their landlord and the court. Applications to the relief program can be submitted beginning March 14. Community 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=>` <>/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>> Box 580314 The Texas Rent Relief Program will shut down its application portal at 5 p.m. on Friday. Texas closed the rent relief program to new applicants in November, citing overwhelming demand for rental assistance dollars. Stamm alleges that RDRH Holdings violated six requirements set out by the program in a contract landlords must sign in order to receive funds. [n6[_.7jSz by Joshua Fechter You cant have it both ways with Texas Rent Relief, Stamm said. Closed from 12 to 1pm for lunch. TDHCA has taken very seriously the responsibility of helping Texas renters and landlords overcome the financial burden brought on by the pandemic, Tirloni said. Two months later, Scott received an email acknowledging her complaint but said she hasnt heard back since. 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. This time period has been shortened based on direction from the Department of Treasury. And were also looking for ways to streamline, reduce documentation burdens, and well continue to adapt as needed, Wilkinson said. 0000098112 00000 n When asked if he had a set targets for performance going forward, he said I can and I will, but that he wanted to for a couple weeks before committing to specific goals. 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. 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. According to the National Housing Law Project, 86% of the 119 lawyers across the country who responded to a survey gauging how the end of a federal moratorium on evictions was affecting tenants said they had seen cases where landlords either declined to apply for assistance from rent relief programs or took the money and proceeded to kick out their tenants. But the program had fixed that error, the email said. 0000017510 00000 n For Landlords who applied for unpaid or future rent on behalf of tenants. During the hearing, lawmakers pressed Wilkinson on a number of issues. Her landlord gave her until the end of May to do so. :>W:lfD;)SHK(r$Iy2lj\*vj-Wf8+GfJs &Xsua9fqsJYKk~(FbD*fwG[VEiG]e29^Qv($6,9arts1y$ GS?u(-4Wc-J(,_@&U Job Listings 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. %PDF-1.7 ) In February, Texas launched a program to help people who had missed rent payments because of the pandemic. Utilities, Clothing for Children, Employment assistance services. TAAHP does not have regulatory or compliance authority for any affordable housing communities or developments. Eligibility for all applicants who have not yet received the maximum amount of 15 months of assistance will receive an email invitation to submit an additional request for assistance 60 days after their previous payment was disbursed. Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) Section 8 housing voucher Low-income residents may be eligible to get help paying rent. Updated: 8 AM Central. 0000020158 00000 n 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.. All rights reserved. Approvals have. She said she has spent thousands of dollars on application fees to at least 10 homes and apartment complexes and all of them have denied her because she now has an eviction on her record. Information in this guide is subject to change at any time. This is our third or fourth round of rental assistance for some of these folks, and the documentation process for each round has been different and the application process has been a little bit different, he said. We will accept new applications for rent and utility assistance from Tuesday, March 14 at 8 a.m. CT to Tuesday, March 28 at 11:59 p.m. CT. COVID-19 has affected Texans across the state. Home ownership 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. This program has specific eligibility requirements and not all households may be eligible. 0000026187 00000 n Failure to respond would only delay the application process. First-time applicants may be eligible for up to 18 months of aid with rent and utility bills. 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. *Must make an appointment. A Texas rent relief program has been plagued by problems. We look at Texas Tech's award-winning magazine. 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. 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. Print Feedback. Im sitting thinking, My rents paid, OK, all I have to worry about is December and January, Gates said. Scotts former landlord Blazer Real Estate Services, a Houston property management company did not respond to calls and emails requesting comment. The more I sit here and think about it, I just know to just go ahead and do what I need to do, Johnson said. Johnsons landlord a partnership owned by Mark Musemeche, a Houston developer had already accepted more than $4,200 in federal money in August to pay four months of rent, according to a copy of Johnsons rent ledger she provided to the Tribune. Since February the state of Texas has paid landlords more than one billion dollars for tenants who can't afford to pay rent. The department . 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. However, Tarrant County's Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP), along with programs administered by the cities of Arlington and Fort Worth, will . TDHCA has provided the following updates regarding the program: ADDITIONAL FUNDING REQUESTS (AFR) INFORMATION. Applications will be processed in the order received, prioritizing those facing evictions. Our evening roundup will help you stay on top of the day's latest updates. 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. You can even upload documents for an attorney to review. Starting October 10, 2022, all new utility assistance payments are issued directly to the tenant to ensure timely and accurate utility assistance payments. 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. Perhaps it goes without saying but producing quality journalism isn't cheap. 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. 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. The report was released less than a week after the Supreme Court of Texas let lapse a set of rules for how courts in the state enforce a federal eviction ban, which the Biden administration extended through into the summer. Approval Notification: The landlord, tenant, and/or utility provider will now be notified automatically that a payment has been approved if an email address is present in the Neighborly system, and the notification will include the payment breakout. The application process is managed through a software application called Neighborly. Postal Mail: Find a complete list of them here. The state received another $47 million in March, which TDHCA said would go toward helping tenants who applied before the November cutoff. Last note, I was approved for 12 months back rent pay and 3 months forward, so I am receiving help for 15 months total. endobj The ERA program makes funding available to states, U.S. territories, local governments, and tribes to assist households that are unable to pay rent or utilities. x]s6(4A y;4N}PmT\INvB/$( Landlord Application Information. If tenants feel they have been unjustly evicted, they can appeal the eviction, Mintz said. "To date, Texas Rent Relief has served . 1. Sign up here. And only 250 of payments have been sent. 0000005047 00000 n your Phone number -Specify Landlord or tenant rental assistance. Your rent and/or utility relief payments will be made directly to your landlord and utility companies. Then she gave up her job at the Katy hospital to care once more for her youngest daughter. Effectiveness of. 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. rental assistance programs, totaling $46.55 billion. The Texas Rent Relief Program provides emergency funds available to help Texas renters pay rent and utility bills (including past due rent and utilities). Texas Rent Relief assistance payments to landlords and utility providers are considered taxable income. April 8, 2022 Hope this timeline helps someone! TDHCA operates the state hotline where complaints originate. Shes impressed by how many do persevere. Let the judge know if any of these things have happened. 0000032141 00000 n The TRR portal will accept new applications starting Tuesday, March 14 at 8 a.m. CT through Tuesday, March 28 at 11:59 p.m. CT, to help eligible households with rent and utility payments. State of Texas | Statewide Search | Report Fraud in Texas | Texas Statutes, Site Map | Library Policies | Accessibility | Employment Opportunities, 205 West 14th Street, Austin, Texas 78701-1614. % 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. Librarians at the State Law Library can provide information about the law, but cannot give legal advice. 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). 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. The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) has received approximately $1.3 billion in Emergency Rental Assistance funds from the newly passed Coronavirus Relief Bill Rental Assistance Program. You cant get paid directly, and also break the promises you made that were designed to keep someone in their home.. I was a good tenant, Gates said. The states leadership shouldve been prepared to get money out to struggling renters as soon as Congress approved the funding, Rosales said, but instead have focused on their own political interests. Tenant applicants who have received a notice of utility disconnection are now prioritized for application review similarly to those applicants being sued for eviction. That happens even when tenants win their eviction cases in court. Rental assistance payments will generally be made directly to landlords participating in the program, unless they cannot be reached, their relationship with the tenant application cannot be established in a timely manner, or they do not agree to accept the payment. Greg Abbott for comment on the report. A collection of state and federal agencies including the TDHCA are tasked with looking into allegations of fraud, waste and abuse in rent relief programs. Texas Tech To Host Art Gallery. The program application now allows these applicants to self-attest to their household income, meeting program requirements instead of uploading income documentation. Click here to search the TDHCA database. 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.
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