Sign up here. 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 $96M in TRR funds. Greg Abbott for comment on the report. 30j($>H&L&Q.]Ky,YIR _I@*v+ 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. 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. 1001 provides, among other things, that whoever knowingly and willingly makes or uses a document or writing containing any false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or entry, in any matter within the jurisdiction of any department or agency of the United States will be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned for not more than five years, or both. Larry Berman New Keynote Speaker For Vietnam War Conference Banquet. All Rights Reserved. In June, Gates said she lost her job after she missed a week of work because of a medical problem. *Must make an appointment. 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. <> 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. You can even upload documents for an attorney to review. When tickets go on sale in May, Tribune members will save big. Late Fees. 0000020271 00000 n Researchers have offered estimates of past-due rent in the U.S. ranging from $8.4 billion to $52.6 billion. On January 24,2023, Treasury released the reallocation amounts for ERA2 Quarter 2 General Pool Reallocation and Designated Voluntary Reallocations; Guidance: On January 5, 2023 Treasury published an updated version of the ERA1 . 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. Prior to 2019, there was often confusion about what counted as a "reasonable" late fee. Are you a Texas resident looking for affordable housing? By the end of March, only 250 people had actually got help paying for rent out of 72,000 completed applications. KERA also reached out to Gov. Exactly how many people have fallen behind on rent over the past year is unclear. 0000005047 00000 n 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. Effectiveness of. After logging in, click on the application status and check with the details provided. Have you subscribed to our free weekly newsletter? Texas has nearly $692 million available through its statewide rent relief program. Member Grand Openings (MEMBERS ONLY) At the federal level, that job falls to the U.S. Treasury Departments Office of Inspector General. If tenants feel they have been unjustly evicted, they can appeal the eviction, Mintz said. 2 0 obj :>W:lfD;)SHK(r$Iy2lj\*vj-Wf8+GfJs &Xsua9fqsJYKk~(FbD*fwG[VEiG]e29^Qv($6,9arts1y$ GS?u(-4Wc-J(,_@&U Of the maximum $65,000 available per household, up to $10,000 can be used for utility assistance (inclusive of past due balance and prospective assistance). If you suspect fraud, waste or abuse please call (833) 61-FRAUD or (833) 613-7283. Of the roughly 200 that have completed applications, only two have been approved for funding. x]s6(4A y;4N}PmT\INvB/$( 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. Lifestyle In February, Texas launched a program to help people who had missed rent payments because of the pandemic. Box 580314 Regardless of your immigration status, you will be eligible for rent relief if you have been adversely affected by COVID-19 or are . For Landlords who applied for unpaid or future rent on behalf of tenants. 4 45 What is clear is that a lot of Texans could use the help of the Texas Rent Relief program. Body: Case ID. 0000098112 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. This time period has been shortened based on direction from the Department of Treasury. Houston, TX 77258. 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 Your rent and/or utility relief payments will be made directly to your landlord and utility companies. Weve had to handhold our residents through these various processes, obtaining the correct documentation, helping them with scanning, Mattingly was told by one landlord. It hurts, that really hurts. 0000026104 00000 n 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. 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. TDHCA announced that they would be accepting new applications in March of 2023 to distribute the remaining funds. She said the past few months have been hard. Texas Rent Relief gave me a second (or duplicate) payment for a tenant's month of rent. Cities and counties that operate local rental assistance programs have $368 million. Late fees over 12% of your monthly rent (10% for properties with more than four units) are unreasonable. 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. "To date, Texas Rent Relief has served . Media Availability Planned For Texas Tech's 8th Annual Ambassadors' Forum. 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. 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. 0000058032 00000 n Weve been expecting there to be aid [for renters] for months and months so there should have been a plan in place.. Any allegations that either a renter or a rental property owner isnt following the program rules should be reported to the program to be investigated, he said. This guide is updated to reflect information pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic. On July 28, 2021, the FHFA announced protections for tenants of multifamily properties with loans backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Macrequiring landlords to give tenants 30 days' notice before. 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). Scott wanted to know: What happened to the rent relief money? An employee at Blazers office who answered the phone declined to answer questions. Mattingly said more than 400 of his companys residents have tried to apply to the program. To request this information, please contact us toll-free at 833-9TX-RENT (833-989-7368). 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.. . We believe owners have done their best to try to understand the intricacies of the program and comply with its requirements, Mintz said. To qualify for rental assistance from the Texas program, tenants had to fall below a certain income level, prove they experienced some kind of financial hardship during the pandemic and make the case that they would be at risk of losing their home if they didnt receive rent relief. 0000009428 00000 n 0000032141 00000 n 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. 0000002022 00000 n Hope this timeline helps someone! Member Newsletters (MEMBERS ONLY) Find a complete list of them here. P.O. 0000088072 00000 n For example, the program bars landlords from accepting rent relief payments after they evict a tenant. 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. ;+h-WZXi ZrzOK4-X6~PR,JtV J5G! Texas Rent Relief approved help for me August 27th. Attempts to reach the property owner RDRH Holdings Inc., an Austin-based corporation and its president were unsuccessful. Stephanie Gates also thought the state rent relief program would save her from an eviction. It turns out the state program had sent the check in September to the wrong address. Around that time, Johnson said she caught COVID-19 and had to miss a month of work. 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. And were also looking for ways to streamline, reduce documentation burdens, and well continue to adapt as needed, Wilkinson said. pk}b=^ ;+2b4+rU:"KOJF&. Failure to respond will delay application review and timeline for approved payments. The Texas Rent Relief program was set up to help people pay their bills. 0000002863 00000 n But the tenants are still the ones holding the bag.. Find the program in your area by state , territory, or tribe and apply for Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA). Updated information and a lease for the new unit will be required in the AFR application. 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. As a nonprofit newsroom, we rely on members to help keep our stories free and our events open to the public. Events / Networking Opportunities 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. 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. You cant have it both ways with Texas Rent Relief, Stamm said. 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. Check status periodically. You can login to the site as a landlord or as a tenant. Even if the rent relief check was in hand, it wouldnt have covered the amount sought by the landlord, Musselman said. Texas Tech To Host Art Gallery. Its awesome. This time period has been shortened based on direction from the Department of Treasury. TAAHP does not have regulatory or compliance authority for any affordable housing communities or developments. 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. Click Here For Information about Accepting Payments. Community The first payment never came because they had a Covid outbreak. Our evening roundup will help you stay on top of the day's latest updates. Health 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. [n6[_.7jSz Print Feedback. All those folks acted in good faith on something that we offered them, that theyre by definition entitled toand by some sort of error, theyre not getting the relief that they need, and then the state Supreme Court let its rules around the eviction moratorium lapse, Bernal said. It got off to a rocky start when it signed up just a few hundred people in the first few months. -Per federal guidelines for Emergency Rental Assistance funding, Texas Rent Relief will provide a completed IRS Form 1099-MISC to all landlords and utility providers that received at least $600 in assistance from the program during the 2021 . 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. "I urge qualifying households to apply for this program once applications open on February 15th. 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. The landlord participates in the tenant's application for rent relief, or 3. 0000003417 00000 n Are you looking for rent assistance resources, help with utility bills or reduced rent apartments? 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. 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). 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. Her former landlord had taken the rent relief funds after they evicted her. On Wednesday, the head of the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs took questions from lawmakers about the troubled rollout of the program. While many have gone back to work, the unemployment rate remains significantly higher than it was before the pandemic. The Apartment Association of Greater Dallas has compiled a list of state and local rental assistance programs. Mar 1, 2023. events. 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. Request for assistance has been verified and approved. 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. Then they mailed it to the wrong address twice and they want to evict me. As of last week, $20.1 million in rent relief has been recaptured, TDHCA spokesperson Kristina Tirloni said, adding that not all of that was connected to allegations of fraud, waste or abuse. All applications will be processed in the order they are received, giving priority to those households facing evictions. Legislative Updates (MEMBERS ONLY) 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. AUSTIN, Texas, March 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- 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 $96M in TRR funds. Once the application is submitted, applicants need to remain alert for emails or calls from TDHCAs representatives who could ask for additional information. Here we are at the beginning of April and still only about 200 Texas families have actually received direct help from this billion dollar program, which is unacceptable, and we need to continue to get this worked out quickly, committee chair state Rep. Philip Cortez, a San Antonio Democrat, told Texas Public Radio. 0000002829 00000 n Subscribe to recieve Local Profile email updates every Monday and Thursday. <>/ExtGState<>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/Annots[ 12 0 R] /MediaBox[ 0 0 792 612] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>> ?$.#jq&LS1-b'u)N 2@x{'Y( V7\T ;z6!EDg"AGbDdWo,/si,TZp em;82os"zrD QV~ns+8ce1|NV ;H@>I]\IjA $_BM (2`n,e072 #q9u_)&er&s9%\!_kE\^9, But The Texas Tribune interviewed tenants from across the state who were approved for federal rental assistance and were evicted anyway. 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. Other program limitations may also apply please see https://www.tdhca.state.tx.us/covid19-response.htm for details. 0000024288 00000 n To help with emergency housing needs, HAP has two components: rental assistance and relocation assistance for qualified households facing housing instability. %PDF-1.7 % Ask us! Please reload the page and try again. 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. 0000020386 00000 n Home The Texas Rent Relief Program was launched by TDHCA on February 15th to solve this problem and bring relief to millions across the United States. Thieves had walked off with their electronics. Diana Johnson, 35, was waiting on rent relief in January when her landlord tried to evict her and her seven children from their three-bedroom apartment in Southeast Dallas. TDHCA has provided the following updates regarding the program: ADDITIONAL FUNDING REQUESTS (AFR) INFORMATION. % 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. 0000014023 00000 n But she still hasnt found a place to live. 3/11/2021 Funding Update: $918,238,535 available 0000020158 00000 n How are we doing? 0000025788 00000 n Updated: 8 AM Central. TDHCA has taken very seriously the responsibility of helping Texas renters and landlords overcome the financial burden brought on by the pandemic, Tirloni said. 2023 Texas Affiliation of Affordable Housing Providers. Applications to the relief program can be submitted beginning March 14. However, Tarrant County's Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP), along with programs administered by the cities of Arlington and Fort Worth, will . Call to schedule an appointment with a legal representative. Cherice Scotts landlord evicted her and her family in October, then cashed a check for rental assistance funds intended to keep them housed. UPDATE: Accepting New Applications For Limited Time, March 14-28, 2023. A switch to a new software caused system outages and forced applicants to reapply. 0000001196 00000 n 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. 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. 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. Her landlord gave her until the end of May to do so. That makes removing barriers to helping families catch up on the rent even more vital, Rosales said. TAAHP does not facilitate applications for affordable housing. The TDHCA runs the Texas Rent Relief program. The Texas Rent Relief (TRR) program provides Texas tenants with financial help with rent and utility bills. The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs is committed to expanding fair housing choice and opportunities for Texans through the administration and funding of affordable housing and homeownership opportunities, weatherization, and community-based services with the help of for-profits, nonprofits, and local governments. 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. If both payments came from our program, the duplicate payment must be returned. I was a good tenant, Gates said. When you click on the link for the first time, you will need to be prepared with a valid email address. The State Auditors Office declined to say whether it has launched any investigations into potential fraud, waste and abuse of the program. We've provided over $2B in emergency funds to help Texas renters pay rent and utility bills (including past due rent and utilities). 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. Some households will still qualify for the program while others will not. 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. 0000078000 00000 n You know, we just had the problems from [the pandemic] last year, which everybody did.. Click here to search the TDHCA database. Women In Business. In her case, the check arrived in time but went to the wrong place. And frankly, theyre tired.. But none of that recovered money is helping tenants ousted from their homes, said Julia Ordua, Southeast Texas regional director for Texas Housers, a nonprofit low-income housing advocacy group. Your application status will flash one of the following statuses as provided in the chart. Best of luck to you and anyone needing this assistance. For more information about fair housing, funding opportunities, or services in your area, please visitwww.tdhca.state.tx.usor theLearn about Fair Housing in Texaspage. Other organizations That help paying rent in Houston. We're thankful for the opportunity to re-open Texas Rent Relief for two weeks to help more Texas tenants and landlords. Perhaps it goes without saying but producing quality journalism isn't cheap. The federal government and the state of Texas both had people like Scott and her family in mind when they hurriedly created a safety net for struggling renters amid the COVID-19 pandemic. As of August 11, 2021, TRR has paid over $658 million in rent and utility assistance to assist over 107,000 households, and funding is still available. Landlord associated with the application will receive an email notification of .
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