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. endobj Yet they still pushed us out.. stream Check status periodically. 0000001467 00000 n Your rent and/or utility relief payments will be made directly to your landlord and utility companies. In June, Gates said she lost her job after she missed a week of work because of a medical problem. 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. 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. The Texas Rent Relief (TRR) program provides Texas tenants with financial help with rent and utility bills. Events / Networking Opportunities Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) Section 8 housing voucher Low-income residents may be eligible to get help paying rent. In February, Texas launched a program to help people who had missed rent payments because of the pandemic. TAAHP does not have regulatory or compliance authority for any affordable housing communities or developments. Updated: 8 AM Central. 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 news article describes the phasing out of a program designed to halt utility shut-offs that was implemented in March. %PDF-1.7 % <>/Metadata 393 0 R/ViewerPreferences 394 0 R>> 1 0 obj You can even upload documents for an attorney to review. The Texas Rent Relief Program will shut down its application portal at 5 p.m. on Friday. The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) created this COVID-19 relief program in February of 2021. All past-due rent and utilities (back to March 13, 2020) will be paid first. 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. You can also call the TDHCA's fraud hotline if you think your landlord may be mishandling the funds: (833) 61-FRAUD or (833) 613-7283. Call to schedule an appointment with a legal representative. Approvals have. "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.". The first payment never came because they had a Covid outbreak. 2021 Program Information. 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=>` The Texas Rent Relief (TRR) program provides Texas tenants with financial help with rent and utility bills. 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. Community The landlord submits any information or documentation to receive payment as part of a rent relief program. 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. 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. 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. Also, the application status in the Neighborly system will be updated when the payment has been made. Expected time in this status: less than one week. If you are concerned that a community is not in compliance, please contact the TDHCA at 512-475-3800. 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. Last note, I was approved for 12 months back rent pay and 3 months forward, so I am receiving help for 15 months total. One landlord received federal money through the Texas Rent Relief program and later chose not to renew their tenants lease which was legal in that case. Jeff Williams, a Harris County justice of the peace, had approved the eviction without Scott present in court a typical outcome in eviction cases when tenants dont show up to their hearings. 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. In her case, the check arrived in time but went to the wrong place. But I dont want to give up.. Depending on each applicants needs and eligibility, this could include past-due payments or a combination of past-due and up to three months of current and future payments made on their behalf. 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. If both payments came from our program, the duplicate payment must be returned. Perhaps it goes without saying but producing quality journalism isn't cheap. That happens even when tenants win their eviction cases in court. After submitting, applicants should watch for communication from TRR in case additional information is needed for application. You can find the names and phone numbers of these organizations below. Job Listings State Rep. Diego Bernal, a San Antonio Democrat, wanted to know what was being done to make sure landlords know that the problems are being fixed and to urge them to hold off on filing eviction cases against tenants who tried to apply for rent relief but had their application held up . You cant have it both ways with Texas Rent Relief, Stamm said. You cant get paid directly, and also break the promises you made that were designed to keep someone in their home.. Lq]0BLaOy\s^ADJ| Members in the News (MEMBERS ONLY) Mar 1, 2023. events. In these cases, payments will be made directly to the tenant, who then is required to pay the landlord. Eligible households can apply online or over the phone for first-time or additional program assistance. Info about the decision to end the program and eviction diversion is included as well. But it's not a fast process. Need to stay updated on coronavirus news in Texas? I dont know if its greatbut youre supposed to be able to use it on your mobile device.. 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 fund is designed to provide rent relief for renters experiencing financial hardship. Home ownership 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. 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. That makes removing barriers to helping families catch up on the rent even more vital, Rosales said. A scathing staff report from the Texas House Urban Affairs Committee released Monday details a host of issues that have plagued the more than $1 billion rent relief program. 0000078063 00000 n This website allows you to ask a lawyer a legal question in writing for free. The Tribune contacted government agencies involved in the program and found that none of them including the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, which runs the state rent relief program track how often this happens. At the federal level, that job falls to the U.S. Treasury Departments Office of Inspector General. Recent updates February 2023. It got off to a rocky start when it signed up just a few hundred people in the first few months. Find the program in your area by state , territory, or tribe and apply for Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA). Education / Webinars An employee at the apartment complex, Crestshire Village Apartments, declined to comment. Landlords and tenants are particularly put on notice that 18 U.S.C. And only 250 of payments have been sent. If you live in Texas no matter if you are landlord or tenants this program will help you, the simplest way is to apply for Texas Emergency rent assistance for covid 19, Visit the website, Create a account, and apply online. Have you subscribed to our free weekly newsletter? 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. Exactly how many people have fallen behind on rent over the past year is unclear. The State Auditors Office declined to say whether it has launched any investigations into potential fraud, waste and abuse of the program. pk}b=^ ;+2b4+rU:"KOJF&. But in September, Gates received good news: Not only did she qualify for help paying back rent, but the program would cover her rent through November 11 months all together, totaling $12,740. Wilkinson said many people who tried to apply may need to go back and take extra steps to complete the application. My landlord has signed up with bill.com to receive payment via ACH, so hopefully, he will receive payment sooner than later. Cherice Scotts son, 6-year-old Teegan McKinney, plays at a park in Houston. Texas Rent Relief approved her for a little over $3,100 about three months worth of rent. About the Texas Rent Relief Program Both landlords and tenants were able to use this website to create an account and submit their application. 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. Despite that, the property manager told Musselman they wanted to proceed with the case, Gates said. Shes impressed by how many do persevere. 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.. Tirloni, the TDHCA spokesperson, declined to discuss individual tenants cases, including Scotts, citing state law that prevents TDHCA from disclosing information about people who receive benefits from programs administered by the agency. 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. 0000014023 00000 n Late fees over 12% of your monthly rent (10% for properties with more than four units) are unreasonable. Meanwhile, Scott is trying to rebuild her life. A switch to a new software caused system outages and forced applicants to reapply. Starting October 10, 2022, all new utility assistance payments are issued directly to the tenant to ensure timely and accurate utility assistance payments. All Rights Reserved. Postal Mail: 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. April 8, 2022 The state received another $47 million in March, which TDHCA said would go toward helping tenants who applied before the November cutoff. Member Editorials (MEMBERS ONLY) 30j($>H&L&Q.]Ky,YIR _I@*v+ Show us with your support. 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. This tool helps find state and local rent and utility assistance near your location. Texas has nearly $692 million available through its statewide rent relief program. 0000002471 00000 n The state of Texas has more than one billion dollars to give out to people who need help paying their bills. The idea of landlords taking rent relief dollars and still evicting tenants is outrageous, she said, and could warrant investigation. In a phone interview, Musselman declined to say why he ruled in favor of Gates landlord. This Plano family got evicted after the Texas Rent Relief program paid the wrong landlord. Her former landlord had taken the rent relief funds after they evicted her. The state's $1.9 billion rental assistance program, which launched during the pandemic, has helped more . Texans shouldnt have to overcome so many bureaucratic and technological challenges just to get help that Congress already funded, Rosales said.