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Scotts former landlord Blazer Real Estate Services, a Houston property management company did not respond to calls and emails requesting comment. 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). 8. Learn how Section 8 provides rental help Find housing services and information Texans can get housing assistance whether they live in rural or urban areas. News from Members (MEMBERS ONLY) Health If a landlord is not paid, the payment will be made directly to the tenant. Interests 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 Apartment Association of Greater Dallas has compiled a list of state and local rental assistance programs. What is clear is that a lot of Texans could use the help of the Texas Rent Relief program. Questions? In those cases, the check was initially sent to the wrong property and only arrived after the tenant was kicked out. "To date, Texas Rent Relief has served more than 316,000 households affected by the pandemic. Top Listings 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. Sign up here. 0000024288 00000 n
Texas Housing Conference 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. 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. I trusted them, Scott said. To a question about whether the application website is mobile-friendly, he replied, its mobile-compatible. 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. For checking the Texas rent relief application status, you can either go online or call them up at 1-833-989-7368. Applications will be processed in the order received, prioritizing those facing evictions. 0000002471 00000 n
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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. Events / Networking Opportunities It got off to a rocky start when it signed up just a few hundred people in the first few months. Latest 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. 3 0 obj
You can also get financial assistance for rent, food, and other expenses by turning to other organizations. 0000009860 00000 n
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). The Housing Assistance Program (HAP)* provides financial assistance to renters experiencing emergency hardships from COVID-19 and to keep families in their homes. Our vision is to inspire and engage our members and stakeholders to end the affordable housing crisis in Texas. There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Most states have lifted their . But receiving rent relief dollars wasnt guaranteed, so some landlords filed for eviction in case the money didnt come through and as a last resort after months of going without rent, Mintz said. She said the past few months have been hard. 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. 0000001467 00000 n
The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) created the Texas Rent Relief program to help Texas renters pay rent and utility bills (including past due rent and utilities). This website allows you to ask a lawyer a legal question in writing for free. After the software glitches, they were asked to resubmit their applications. I dont know if its greatbut youre supposed to be able to use it on your mobile device.. 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. The idea of landlords taking rent relief dollars and still evicting tenants is outrageous, she said, and could warrant investigation. 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. Altogether, about $2 billion of the federal rental and utility assistance funds approved by Congress last year were earmarked for Texas. You cant have it both ways with Texas Rent Relief, Stamm said. 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. If issues are discovered or brought to our attention, like payments sent to an incorrect address, or payments sent to a landlord who has evicted the tenant, we will take corrective measures, like recapture or other necessary steps.. 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 . In each expanded section, there are . 0000048118 00000 n
Its awesome. Texas Rent Relief assistance payments to landlords and utility providers are considered taxable income. 0000010218 00000 n
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. Media Availability Planned For Texas Tech's 8th Annual Ambassadors' Forum. It takes away your pride and makes me feel like I failed as a parent. The Texas rent relief program has only made three payments despite being online for over . 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. Expected time in this status: less than one week. The program has emergency funds available to help Texas renters pay rent and utility bills (including past due rent and utilities). Northwest Assistance Ministries: 281-583-5600. Thats created a confusing patchwork of rental assistance across the state, with rules for how to navigate them still unclear, and its forcing landlords into an odd new role. 0000017510 00000 n
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. 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 . Applicant will receive an email notification of approval. 0000025788 00000 n
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. For Landlords who applied for unpaid or future rent on behalf of tenants. At the moment, Gates is bouncing back and forth between her fathers house and a friends while she appeals her eviction in an attempt to strike it from her record and make it easier for her to find a new place. Tirloni said the agency doesnt track what portion of those clawed-back funds came from landlords found to have improperly evicted their tenants after receiving assistance or categorize what scenarios would result in recapturing the money. Greg Abbott for comment on the report. 1. 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. Click here to search the TDHCA database. 0000012097 00000 n
You can find the names and phone numbers of these organizations below. 0000068016 00000 n
We've provided over $2B in emergency funds to help Texas renters pay rent and utility bills (including past due rent and utilities). Find a complete list of them here. 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. 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. 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. 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. The details for each program are available below. Utilities, Clothing for Children, Employment assistance services. April 7, 20215 PM Central. 0000020271 00000 n
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. Texans shouldnt have to overcome so many bureaucratic and technological challenges just to get help that Congress already funded, Rosales said. Yet they still pushed us out.. 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. I think any landlord that accepted money or got money directly for rent absolutely should not have evicted anyone, Garcia said. Ask us! Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) Section 8 housing voucher Low-income residents may be eligible to get help paying rent. Federal aid has gotten to only a fraction of Texans applying for assistance because they're behind on rent and trying to avoid being evicted. There have been nearly 50,000 eviction filings in Houston since the beginning of the pandemic. For more information on returning a payment, email [email protected]. Find the program in your area by state , territory, or tribe and apply for Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA). Payment is in process. Lone Star Legal Aid is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit law firm focused on advocacy for low-income and underserved populations. Visit TexasRentRelief.com for more program highlights. This Plano family got evicted after the Texas Rent Relief program paid the wrong landlord. Updated: 8 AM Central. This guide is updated to reflect information pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic. 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. Job Listings Both the federal and state government added enforcement provisions when they created the rent relief programs. 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. 0000048055 00000 n
2n -.-&) 1 1 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 $99,000 in 2020 or 2021. April 8, 2022 Despite that, the property manager told Musselman they wanted to proceed with the case, Gates said. During the hearing, lawmakers pressed Wilkinson on a number of issues. <>/ExtGState<>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/Annots[ 12 0 R] /MediaBox[ 0 0 792 612] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>>
30j($>H&L&Q.]Ky,YIR _I@*v+ 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. Request for assistance has been verified and approved. The landlord submits any information or documentation to receive payment as part of a rent relief program. The Texas Rent Relief Program will be run by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. Anticipated time to receive payment: 7-14 days Request for assistance has been denied. 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. To receive help from Katy Christian Ministries you must live in one of the following zip codes: 77084, 77094, 77406, 77423, 77441, 77449, 77450, 77464, 77476, 77485, 77493, 77494 Depending on eligibility and needs, this could include past-due payments or a combination of past-due and up to three months of current and future payments. from 8 AM - 9 PM ET. While hes cautiously optimistic that the Texas Rent Relief programs problems have largely been addressed, fundamental questions remain unanswered. The program application now allows these applicants to self-attest to their household income, meeting program requirements instead of uploading income documentation. According to the program rules laid out in the agreement Gates landlord signed July 13 to receive the funds, if a landlord receives rent relief money after evicting the tenant, theyre supposed to send the money back to TDHCA within 10 days.