texas rent relief approved payment in process
Cherice Scotts son, 6-year-old Teegan McKinney, plays at a park in Houston. 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. For others, health issues made going to work unsafe while the pandemic raged out of control. But housing advocates and lawyers who represent tenants facing eviction say they routinely see cases of Texas landlords accepting thousands of dollars from the government and evicting the tenants the money was intended to help. Altogether, about $2 billion of the federal rental and utility assistance funds approved by Congress last year were earmarked for Texas. 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. 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. Houston, TX 77258. Are you a Texas resident looking for affordable housing? In order to collect this late fee, the landlord must have included notice of it in a written lease. 0000002022 00000 n You will be asked to create an account and then . *Must make an appointment. 0000002471 00000 n ) For Landlords who applied for unpaid or future rent on behalf of tenants. 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. 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. You know, we just had the problems from [the pandemic] last year, which everybody did.. Interests Texas Coronavirus Relief Bill Rental Assistance Program administered by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. Assistance continues to grow with an average of $6 million approved per day in the last week, with marked increases seen weekly. Applicants must still provide all other required program documentation and must provide evidence of the notice of utility disconnection. Are you looking for rent assistance resources, help with utility bills or reduced rent apartments? P.O. 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. The same day, her landlord told Johnson her lease wouldnt be renewed when it expired the following week, she said. 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. Payment is in process. 0000020386 00000 n 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). While applications can be made online through the programs portal, the TDHCA call center at (833) 9TX-RENT (833-989-7368) will be available to submit applications over the phone. You will get a 30-minute legal consultation with information, advice, and resources. Please take our patron satisfaction survey! Applicant will receive an email notification of approval. 0000008211 00000 n an apparent violation of the programs requirements for landlords, survey gauging how the end of a federal moratorium on evictions was affecting tenants. About the Texas Rent Relief Program Both landlords and tenants were able to use this website to create an account and submit their application. In Texas, two state agencies the TDHCA, which oversees the statewide rent relief program, and the State Auditors Office have the authority to look into allegations of waste, fraud or abuse within the program. Effectiveness of. This time period has been shortened based on direction from the Department of Treasury. 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. 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. That happens even when tenants win their eviction cases in court. 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. And frankly, theyre tired.. 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. Eligible households can apply online or over the phone for first-time or additional program assistance. Texas Rent Relief approved her for a little over $3,100 about three months worth of rent. "To date, Texas Rent Relief has served more than 316,000 households affected by the pandemic. Scott said she complained to a program staffer in October about her landlords conduct, and the staffer referred the complaint to the programs anti-fraud division. It got off to a rocky start when it signed up just a few hundred people in the first few months. 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. First-time applicants may be eligible for up to 18 months of aid with rent and utility bills. The program will also have a call . your Phone number -Specify Landlord or tenant rental assistance. You can find the names and phone numbers of these organizations below. Failure to respond would only delay the application process. 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. 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. We continue to see a strong need for assistance, and eviction filings statewide have now returned to pre-pandemic levels. You can login to the site as a landlord or as a tenant. Other program limitations may also apply please see https://www.tdhca.state.tx.us/covid19-response.htm for details. This program has specific eligibility requirements and not all households may be eligible. An employee at Blazers office who answered the phone declined to answer questions. 0000003018 00000 n 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. A Texas rent relief program has been plagued by problems. 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. Expected time in this status: less than one week. In February, Texas launched a program to help people who had missed rent payments because of the pandemic. At the federal level, that job falls to the U.S. Treasury Departments Office of Inspector General. This website allows you to ask a lawyer a legal question in writing for free. 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. Landlords and tenants are particularly put on notice that 18 U.S.C. We look at Texas Tech's award-winning magazine. 0000020271 00000 n To a question about whether the application website is mobile-friendly, he replied, its mobile-compatible. 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. 0000026104 00000 n Texas closed the rent relief program to new applicants in November, citing overwhelming demand for rental assistance dollars. "To date, Texas Rent Relief has served . And only 250 of payments have been sent. Less than two weeks after Gates eviction, she spotted something in her online account with the rent relief program: A pair of checks totaling $12,650 had cleared the property owners bank account. Click Here For Information about Accepting Payments. As a nonprofit newsroom, we rely on members to help keep our stories free and our events open to the public. 0000088072 00000 n The Texas Rent Relief Program will be run by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. You can even upload documents for an attorney to review. 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). 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. Most went into the statewide Texas Rent Relief program, and the rest when to city and county governments. The landlord submits any information or documentation to receive payment as part of a rent relief program. 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 V o l . Some tenants who spoke to the Tribune about their cases said they called a hotline used to report fraud, waste and abuse in the state rent relief program and never heard back about their complaints. endobj Please reload the page and try again. But those are the exact grounds that RDRH Holdings cited when it sued to evict Gates, Stamm said. 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. When the state sent the rent relief check to the wrong address, Scott said the staff assured her they were working to get the money re-sent. By the end of March, only 250 people had actually got help paying for rent out of 72,000 completed applications. The program has emergency funds available to help Texas renters pay rent and utility bills (including past due rent and utilities). Neighborhood Centers Inc: 713-665-3600. The program application now allows these applicants to self-attest to their household income, meeting program requirements instead of uploading income documentation. News from Members (MEMBERS ONLY) Scott said she spoke to the office staff and walked away believing she didnt need to worry about eviction as they waited for the relief money or to bother showing up to court. Tenant applicants who have received a notice of utility disconnection are now prioritized for application review similarly to those applicants being sued for eviction. There have been nearly 50,000 eviction filings in Houston since the beginning of the pandemic. Johnson, a manager of a hair salon and certified nursing assistant, had asked the program in October for help covering rent while she recovered from giving birth to her son and couldnt work. 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. We believe owners have done their best to try to understand the intricacies of the program and comply with its requirements, Mintz said. Just as the program launched, the state was hit with the massive winter storm in February, which sidelined a third of the contracted phone operators for days, the report said. About the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. 0000002829 00000 n 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. Then you can type what your issue or concern. Recent updates February 2023. 0000005047 00000 n Cherice Scotts landlord evicted her and her family in October, then cashed a check for rental assistance funds intended to keep them housed. Texas has nearly $692 million available through its statewide rent relief program. 0000030653 00000 n And were also looking for ways to streamline, reduce documentation burdens, and well continue to adapt as needed, Wilkinson said. As of Wednesday, the program has assisted more than 300,000 households. While many have gone back to work, the unemployment rate remains significantly higher than it was before the pandemic. 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. The details for each program are available below. The property manager quickly confirmed that they had and Jasso tossed the eviction. If a landlord is not paid, the payment will be made directly to the tenant. Most states have lifted their . The 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act, passed in December 2020, included $25 billion in urgently needed emergency rental assistance (ERA1) for tenants with low incomes and established the Emergency Rental Assistance program (ERA) administered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury). Legislative Updates (MEMBERS ONLY) Weve had to handhold our residents through these various processes, obtaining the correct documentation, helping them with scanning, Mattingly was told by one landlord. The Apartment Association of Greater Dallas has compiled a list of state and local rental assistance programs. Mar 1, 2023. events. Latest All TDHCA employees and contractor employees have a responsibility to report waste, fraud and abuse within the agency. No New Applications Accepted 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. For example, the program bars landlords from accepting rent relief payments after they evict a tenant. But the program had fixed that error, the email said. If you owe unpaid rent or utilities, that amount will be paid in one lump sum within 10 business days of your final approval. You cant get paid directly, and also break the promises you made that were designed to keep someone in their home.. Hosted every Wednesday, at 6:30 p.m., by the. 2 0 obj Media Availability Planned For Texas Tech's 8th Annual Ambassadors' Forum. To help with emergency housing needs, HAP has two components: rental assistance and relocation assistance for qualified households facing housing instability. We cant wait to welcome you in person and online to the 2022 Texas Tribune Festival, our multiday celebration of big, bold ideas about politics, public policy and the days news all taking place just steps away from the Texas Capitol from Sept. 22-24. 0000001407 00000 n Late fees over 12% of your monthly rent (10% for properties with more than four units) are unreasonable.