It turns out the state program had sent the check in September to the wrong address. This Plano family got evicted after the Texas Rent Relief program paid the wrong landlord. 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. Texas Coronavirus Relief Bill Rental Assistance Program administered by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. 0000098050 00000 n Tenant applicants who have received a notice of utility disconnection are now prioritized for application review similarly to those applicants being sued for eviction. For others, health issues made going to work unsafe while the pandemic raged out of control. 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. The rent relief checks cleared RDRHs bank account on Feb. 4 less than two weeks after Gates was evicted. 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. Updated information and a lease for the new unit will be required in the AFR application. The fund is designed to provide rent relief for renters experiencing financial hardship. Payments have been approved for more than 2,200 additional households, the agency dashboard indicated Friday. That makes removing barriers to helping families catch up on the rent even more vital, Rosales said. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribunes journalism. 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. The idea of landlords taking rent relief dollars and still evicting tenants is outrageous, she said, and could warrant investigation. 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. the service staff will examine your application and once it is approved you will be able to claim emergency rental . The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) created this COVID-19 relief program in February of 2021. Expected time in this status: less than one week. 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 Relief program, designed to help such families stay in their homes as the pandemic triggered a tsunami of business closures and hundreds of thousands of layoffs. 0000006939 00000 n Call to schedule an appointment with a legal representative. the Emergency Rental Assistance Program in Texas. Maybe the money will be returned to Treasury and the wrong will be righted for the government, Ordua said. Thieves had walked off with their electronics. We've provided over $2B in emergency funds to help Texas renters pay rent and utility bills (including past due rent and utilities). Payment in Process Good news! endobj On Jan. 27, Williamson County constables came to execute the eviction. 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 . 2. 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. Lee Reznicek, a property manager who oversees Gates former home for Austin-based Hill Country Property Management, declined to comment when reached by email. She said the past few months have been hard. 0000068016 00000 n A switch to a new software caused system outages and forced applicants to reapply. 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. 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. Despite that, the property manager told Musselman they wanted to proceed with the case, Gates said. Late fees over 12% of your monthly rent (10% for properties with more than four units) are unreasonable. 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. But The Texas Tribune interviewed tenants from across the state who were approved for federal rental assistance and were evicted anyway. 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. 0000048118 00000 n 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. Feb 27, 2023. All rights reserved. For checking the Texas rent relief application status, you can either go online or call them up at 1-833-989-7368. Some local governments still have money for rent help, but those funds may soon run out, as well. As of today, the program has distributed nearly $2 billion, with more than 300,000 Texan households having been assisted or in the final payment process. State of Texas | Statewide Search | Report Fraud in Texas | Texas Statutes, Site Map | Library Policies | Accessibility | Employment Opportunities, 205 West 14th Street, Austin, Texas 78701-1614. Wilkinson said many people who tried to apply may need to go back and take extra steps to complete the application. The Apartment Association of Greater Dallas has compiled a list of state and local rental assistance programs. We believe owners have done their best to try to understand the intricacies of the program and comply with its requirements, Mintz said. 0000030653 00000 n The application software issue has been resolved. At a time when newsroom resources and revenue across the country are declining, The Texas Tribune remains committed to sustaining our mission: creating a more engaged and informed Texas with every story we cover, every event we convene and every newsletter we send. 30j($>H&L&Q.]Ky,YIR _I@*v+ 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. Calls to Musemeche were not returned. 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 landlord submits any information or documentation to receive payment as part of a rent relief program. Utilities, Clothing for Children, Employment assistance services. ;+h-WZXi ZrzOK4-X6~PR,JtV J5G! However, Tarrant County's Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP), along with programs administered by the cities of Arlington and Fort Worth, will . 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.) Latest But the program had fixed that error, the email said. HWmo6_qf&..WVmFJ=GRIOtK^Sq|}"SiSm%S@xS|,NXAC,g uW,,myVH!eMJA^Te**gNx7{uFw vW\uMru JWMu;C,^NJvgVt>(,Y*-.=-zq5t:ATi:w#GG7/V=ohM{3wi5omHo;lpFEMBL%%-P|=fsWv@>f;&X6gji#~L8Uhg JVt`E\L+@j8J:,acf)#--iU)'bc/s/PK3d JC#p0;~mY>VORqiK:JOFrPTgfF:*c! 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 Texas Rent Relief Program will be run by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. Lifestyle The following provides performance of the Texas Rent Relief Program, as of May 12, 2021: More than $110 million has been paid or is in the process of being paid. 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. Cities and counties that operate local rental assistance programs have $368 million. Mon: 8 to 5pm. Other program limitations may also apply please see https://www.tdhca.state.tx.us/covid19-response.htm for details. In other words, Scott had already been evicted, but Texas Rent Relief was letting the landlord keep the money more than $11,000 in apparent contradiction of its own policy. 0000032141 00000 n They can visit https://texaslawhelp.org/eviction-referral or call 855-270-7655 for help understanding their options and to seek free or low-cost legal assistance. The Texas rent relief program has only made three payments despite being online for over . 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. Texas Rent Relief Program Scotts former landlord Blazer Real Estate Services, a Houston property management company did not respond to calls and emails requesting comment. 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. Legislative Updates (MEMBERS ONLY) The statewide TEDP is funded through a set-aside of the Texas Rent Relief Program (texasrentrelief.com), which launched February 15, 2021, stopped accepting new applications for rental assistance as of November 5, 2021, and committed 99% of all total funds by January 13, 2022. The program has emergency funds available to help Texas renters pay rent and utility bills (including past due rent and utilities). For the past year, housing advocates have been pointing to the slow-rolling housing crisis brought on by the pandemic. According to the TRR portal, the program provided over $2 billion in emergency funds since its launch, helping more than 310,000 Texas families remain stably housed during the pandemic. Tenants who are unable to access their existing online application may call the call center for assistance, and documentation related to existing applications may be accepted by postal mail at the following address. Larry Berman New Keynote Speaker For Vietnam War Conference Banquet. 0000047797 00000 n Weve been expecting there to be aid [for renters] for months and months so there should have been a plan in place.. Read on for a look at these new changes, and visit our Rent and Legal Assistance page on the COVID-19 & Texas Law guide for more information. You will be asked to create an account and then . Johnsons lawyer recorded the call. In each expanded section, there are . You can also get financial assistance for rent, food, and other expenses by turning to other organizations. This guide is updated to reflect information pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) has made some changes to the Texas Rent Relief Program in order to make the application and payout process easier. Find the program in your area by state , territory, or tribe and apply for Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA). endobj After submitting, applicants should watch for communication from TRR in case additional information is needed for application. 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. This website allows you to ask a lawyer a legal question in writing for free. Advocacy Alerts We strive to always do better, Tirloni said in an email. The program will also have a call . Things To Do Late Fees. Subscribe to recieve Local Profile email updates every Monday and Thursday. 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. pk}b=^ ;+2b4+rU:"KOJF&. 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. Food + Drink 0000014023 00000 n KERA also reached out to Gov. Stephanie Gates also thought the state rent relief program would save her from an eviction. The program was originally launched in February 2021 and is administered by the . Stamm alleges that RDRH Holdings violated six requirements set out by the program in a contract landlords must sign in order to receive funds. Starting October 10, 2022, all new utility assistance payments are issued directly to the tenant to ensure timely and accurate utility assistance payments. The TRR program will be accepting online applications from March 14 to 28, providing aid with rent and utility bills for up to 18 months for first-time applicants. Top Listings 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. 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. Mar 1, 2023. events. On Wednesday, the head of the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs took questions from lawmakers about the troubled rollout of the program. COVID-19 Researchers have offered estimates of past-due rent in the U.S. ranging from $8.4 billion to $52.6 billion. The details for each program are available below. The State Auditors Office declined to say whether it has launched any investigations into potential fraud, waste and abuse of the program. Landlords and tenants are particularly put on notice that 18 U.S.C. The Housing Assistance Program (HAP)* provides financial assistance to renters experiencing emergency hardships from COVID-19 and to keep families in their homes. He oversees the state's executive branch, including the housing and community affairs department. Then in December, the property owner filed an eviction case against Gates and gave her a notice to vacate. Texas Rent Relief approved her for a little over $3,100 about three months worth of rent. 0000030230 00000 n 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. Librarians at the State Law Library can provide information about the law, but cannot give legal advice. 0000088072 00000 n Landlords who received rent relief dollars cant evict tenants for any reason related to rent or fees during the time period covered by the funds, according to the program requirements. 0000003417 00000 n The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs also offers a website about this program. I hope everyone gets the assistance that they need. 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. Johnsons trying not to dwell on the saga. As of Feb. 17, Gates former landlord hadnt done so, Stamm said. Lq]0BLaOy\s^ADJ| What is clear is that a lot of Texans could use the help of the Texas Rent Relief program. Appeals must be submitted within 30 days. Scott wanted to know: What happened to the rent relief money? Most went into the statewide Texas Rent Relief program, and the rest when to city and county governments. 0000002863 00000 n endobj The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) created this COVID-19 relief program in February of 2021. All applications will be processed in the order they are received, giving priority to those households facing evictions. The Texas Homeowner Assistance Fund Program (TXHAF) provides financial assistance to qualified Texas homeowners who have fallen behind on their mortgage and related expenses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Her landlord gave her until the end of May to do so. Those constituents were told they were unable to receive their eligible assistance while the agency recouped the funds, the lawmakers wrote Thursday to TDHCA board Chair Leo Vasquez. In order to receive federal rent relief funds through the state, landlords had to sign an agreement that forbids them from evicting tenants for nonpayment during the time period covered by the assistance. "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.". To apply for residency, you may contact the onsite leasing staff for the development you wish to apply for or contact your local housing authority for assistance. 0000001467 00000 n Click Here For Information about Accepting Payments. 2401 E 6th Street, Ste 3037, PMB 153, Austin, TX 78702. 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. 0000012097 00000 n 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 $2 billion, federally backed rental assistance fund. Its awesome. But she said the program doesnt allow landlords to receive back rent if theyve evicted a tenant the opposite of what the email to Scott said. Applicants must still provide all other required program documentation and must provide evidence of the notice of utility disconnection. Then you can type what your issue or concern. I"OqC)RrQBY( ,VN?4Tmj|e@O)&$O&WrVRKT0X5Vrs'O. {wKPK?c- C <=fL5h|'(d-$7(r ~9 qFP9v8i-LKp Nx@`{>-aB58c$f_Q. Our vision is to inspire and engage our members and stakeholders to end the affordable housing crisis in Texas. cy,a`G|~OOsQ>gR-"F HT$uUD$>@he^? Johnson had asked the office manager whether they had received the latest check, she said. Applications to the relief program can be submitted beginning March 14. Perhaps it goes without saying but producing quality journalism isn't cheap. Landlord associated with the application will receive an email notification of . As the tenant was evicted from the unit associated with this application, pursuant to program policies, rental arrears are only approved for the time period the tenant was in the unit, the email reads. Health 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. The application process is managed through a software application called Neighborly. Exactly how many people have fallen behind on rent over the past year is unclear. The Texas Rent Relief Program provides emergency funds available to help Texas renters pay rent and utility bills (including past due rent and utilities). T!KE) A8(x;)-GlrHqZ:%>)c#x/MoJ5K=Tj=M,dIj)h MQ7ey#5xp uwA4@!5GM3e mXI#JR!g.H?##B-|qz^^(p7r`>G>M'PF4LLLu*n_"!/N`nxxbQ9CkK4eSB[Rl7x,E $R6W9203#g~=jxPcIyH.MSLhuY9K^cPM|>Q|hfb#PxFAcL,/>~5W(oqXiU&u 0000020271 00000 n How are we doing? 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). He took the car, which made it difficult for Scott to hunt for work and shelter. 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). 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. Texas Rent Relief Program has $96M remaining to help Texans affected by the pandemic. Find a complete list of them here. Have you subscribed to our free weekly newsletter? 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. Business All TDHCA employees and contractor employees have a responsibility to report waste, fraud and abuse within the agency. The same day, her landlord told Johnson her lease wouldnt be renewed when it expired the following week, she said. I am being evicted for not paying rent. First-time applicants may be eligible for up to 18 months of aid with rent and utility bills. Information in this guide is subject to change at any time. 2 0 obj To help with emergency housing needs, HAP has two components: rental assistance and relocation assistance for qualified households facing housing instability. As a nonprofit newsroom, we rely on members to help keep our stories free and our events open to the public. Payment is in process. Please take our patron satisfaction survey! For more information on returning a payment, email [email protected]. Even if the rent relief check was in hand, it wouldnt have covered the amount sought by the landlord, Musselman said. Hope this timeline helps someone! 0000009860 00000 n Other organizations That help paying rent in Houston. P.O. 0000003018 00000 n 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. The public is also invited to share such concerns. The program application now allows these applicants to self-attest to their household income, meeting program requirements instead of uploading income documentation. "I urge qualifying households to apply for this program once applications open on February 15th. 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. All past-due rent and utilities (back to March 13, 2020) will be paid first. 0000032455 00000 n Weve had to handhold our residents through these various processes, obtaining the correct documentation, helping them with scanning, Mattingly was told by one landlord. 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. 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. 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. Applications can be also made . If you suspect fraud, waste or abuse please call (833) 61-FRAUD or (833) 613-7283. V o l . When Cherice Scott received a notice last September that she, her husband and their four children would soon be kicked out of their Katy apartment, she said employees at the complex told her not to worry about it. 1. TDHCA is using the funds to help Texas renters pay rent and utility bills (including past due rent and utilities). I can understand an apartment complex coming at this point in the process and saying, It's time to figure out what's going to happen here or move forward, Musselman said. Theres no excuse, Rosales said. Mattingly said more than 400 of his companys residents have tried to apply to the program. Job Listings Applications in this set-aside will be processed first to decrease application processing time and increase the likelihood of evictions being diverted. Landlords can get up to 15 months of rent paid through this program, but only if they don't evict. My landlord has signed up with bill.com to receive payment via ACH, so hopefully, he will receive payment sooner than later. Release of information or other details will be required under some circumstances. About the Texas Rent Relief Program Both landlords and tenants were able to use this website to create an account and submit their application. 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. I shouldnt have.. If you have evidence, be sure to bring it to court. 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. 0000017510 00000 n TAAHP does not facilitate applications for affordable housing. 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. When the pandemic hit last year, millions of people across the country lost wages after they were laid off, furloughed or saw work hours cut. They told her there was no way to see if they had received it, she said. Eligible households can apply online or over the phone for first-time or additional program assistance. According to the report, of the 176,000 people who have begun applications, just over 1,000 have had their applications approved.