First-time applicants may be eligible for up to 18 months of aid with rent and utility bills. <> Of the roughly 200 that have completed applications, only two have been approved for funding. It hurts, that really hurts. Its unclear whether landlords face any penalties from state agencies for improperly evicting tenants while receiving rent relief dollars intended to help those tenants stay housed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Governor Abbott, TDHCA Commit 95% Of Total Funds From Texas Rent Relief 0000008211 00000 n 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. Request for assistance has been verified and approved. 2023 Texas Affiliation of Affordable Housing Providers. Member Grand Openings (MEMBERS ONLY) PDF DIRECT-TO-TENANT PAYMENT IMPLEMENTATION - National Low Income Housing 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. Most went into the statewide Texas Rent Relief program, and the rest when to city and county governments. The Texas Rent Relief (TRR) program provides Texas tenants with financial help with rent and utility bills. 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). All applications will be processed in the order they are received, giving priority to those households facing evictions. pk}b=^ ;+2b4+rU:"KOJF&. 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. In March 2022, Texas Rent Relief received additional funding to the tune of $47.8 million from the U.S. Treasury Department. I trusted them, Scott said. TDHCA has taken very seriously the responsibility of helping Texas renters and landlords overcome the financial burden brought on by the pandemic, Tirloni said. Some local governments still have money for rent help, but those funds may soon run out, as well. Houston, TX 77258. You can login to the site as a landlord or as a tenant. Additional Funding for Texas Rent Relief Landlords can get up to 15 months of rent paid through this program, but only if they don't evict. "To date, Texas Rent Relief has served more than 316,000 households affected by the pandemic. At the federal level, that job falls to the U.S. Treasury Departments Office of Inspector General. 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. hb``b``yX01 $J|*]gw"sq7X>6>^`hD"0Q{in00 Y? ` q endstream endobj 5 0 obj <> endobj 6 0 obj <>/ExtGState<>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text]/XObject<>>>/Rotate 0/TrimBox[0.0 0.0 792.0 612.0]/Type/Page>> endobj 7 0 obj <> endobj 8 0 obj <> endobj 9 0 obj [/ICCBased 22 0 R] endobj 10 0 obj [/Separation/Red 9 0 R<>] endobj 11 0 obj <> endobj 12 0 obj <>stream Access Invoices & ReceiptsRequest W9Questions & Special Requests, Update Your ProfileRequest Company Name ChangeAdding/Removing EmployeesFrequently Asked QuestionsContact Us, Mailing Address2401 E 6th St, Ste 3037, PMB 153Austin, TX 78702Email UsPhone: 512-476-9901, Aug 20, 2021 | COVID19, Latest News, Newsletter. 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. ;+h-WZXi ZrzOK4-X6~PR,JtV J5G! A spokesperson did not respond to the request for comment. It takes away your pride and makes me feel like I failed as a parent. trailer <]/Prev 155979>> startxref 0 %%EOF 48 0 obj <>stream 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. Health If your landlord breaks their agreement with the Texas Rent Relief program, you may file a complaint with the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. 3/11/2021 Funding Update: $918,238,535 available For more information on returning a payment, email [email protected]. Show us with your support. Job Listings He was asked whether he planned to reduce the $42 million contract with Horne LLP due to the troubled rollout, and said his team is reviewing the contract. Texas Residents - TDHCA New applications are not being accepted. Both the federal and state government added enforcement provisions when they created the rent relief programs. Rosales said shes heard landlords say at eviction court that they're already so frustrated and tired by the slow pace and confusing nature of rental assistance programs that theyd rather evict tenants than hold out for assistance. The State Auditors Office declined to say whether it has launched any investigations into potential fraud, waste and abuse of the program. Returning applicants who have not received the maximum allowed 18 months of assistance for rent and/or utility bills can submit an Additional Funding Request via their existing online user account. To request this information, please contact us toll-free at 833-9TX-RENT (833-989-7368). #4'x= 3r8 #TH(fY'O3 }~\N |iz$&dr_~azLN~u($~^ K H!K @gq4. For the past year, housing advocates have been pointing to the slow-rolling housing crisis brought on by the pandemic. Check status periodically. This page has answers to questions about the Texas Rent Relief Program for both landlords and tenants. [n6[_.7jSz Applications to the relief program can be submitted beginning March 14. Texas has nearly $692 million available through its statewide rent relief program. 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. TDHCA announced that they would be accepting new applications in March of 2023 to distribute the remaining funds. Stamm alleges that RDRH Holdings violated six requirements set out by the program in a contract landlords must sign in order to receive funds. Librarians at the State Law Library can provide information about the law, but cannot give legal advice. 0000020386 00000 n Theres no excuse, Rosales said. 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. 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. Ask us! TDHCA announced that they would be accepting new applications in March of 2023 to distribute the remaining funds. Your application status will flash one of the following statuses as provided in the chart. I think any landlord that accepted money or got money directly for rent absolutely should not have evicted anyone, Garcia said. In a phone interview, Musselman declined to say why he ruled in favor of Gates landlord. All TDHCA employees and contractor employees have a responsibility to report waste, fraud and abuse within the agency. SOURCE Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, Cision Distribution 888-776-0942 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. Our Legal Help guide has information on free legal hotlines, legal clinics, and legal aid organizations, as well as information on how to find a lawyer who could represent you. Eligibility For tenants: Household income at or below 80% of Area Median Income (AMI) Household has been financially affected by COVID-19 pandemic For landlords: Assistance for rent no older than April 2020 It got off to a rocky start when it signed up just a few hundred people in the first few months. If you suspect fraud, waste or abuse please call (833) 61-FRAUD or (833) 613-7283. Evaluating the. Assistance continues to grow with an average of $6 million approved per day in the last week, with marked increases seen weekly. 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. Houston-Harris County Emergency Rental Assistance Program 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. 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 program was originally launched in February 2021 and is administered by the . The state received another $47 million in March, which TDHCA said would go toward helping tenants who applied before the November cutoff. The first payment never came because they had a Covid outbreak. 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. 0000078063 00000 n And if they did, it should be audited and reviewed by [government investigators] so that we can recoup our funds for the misuse of the dollars.. Johnsons lawyer recorded the call. Even if the rent relief check was in hand, it wouldnt have covered the amount sought by the landlord, Musselman said. Requests for Proposals/Quotes (MEMBERS ONLY). Updated: 8 AM Central. 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. 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. The Texas Rent Relief Program will be run by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. Lone Star Legal Aid is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit law firm focused on advocacy for low-income and underserved populations. 0000068079 00000 n As a nonprofit newsroom, we rely on members to help keep our stories free and our events open to the public. KPRC 2 Investigates Texas Rent Relief program: Why some renters have Texas Rent Relief approved her for a little over $3,100 about three months worth of rent. 0000020158 00000 n Whoops! 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. KPRC 2 Investigates Texas Rent Relief program: Single mother served 0000002471 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. Altogether, about $2 billion of the federal rental and utility assistance funds approved by Congress last year were earmarked for Texas. But it's not a fast process. Applicants that have received help from the program before but have not received the maximum of 18 months of assistance allowed, can submit an additional funding request using their existing online user account. Find a complete list of them here. In late March she started a new job teaching at an early learning center. Let the judge know if any of these things have happened. According to the report, of the 176,000 people who have begun applications, just over 1,000 have had their applications approved. How are we doing? The state's $1.9 billion rental assistance program, which launched during the pandemic, has helped more . 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. Katy Texas Rent Assistance: Nonprofits To Help With Rent Payments Approvals have. 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. 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. *L#H0o=M6S:{D A^o l'a7*, Texas family evicted after rent relief program paid the wrong landlord 0000032455 00000 n "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.". Attempts to reach the property owner RDRH Holdings Inc., an Austin-based corporation and its president were unsuccessful. In February, Texas launched a program to help people who had missed rent payments because of the pandemic. After the software glitches, they were asked to resubmit their applications. An employee at the apartment complex, Crestshire Village Apartments, declined to comment. Emergency Rental Assistance Program | U.S. Department of the Treasury 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. 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). 0000048055 00000 n The application portal opens Tuesday, March 14th at 8 a.m. and closes Tuesday, March 28th, at 11:59 p.m. To contact the Texas Rent Relief program, please call 1-833-9TX-RENT (1-833-989-7368). 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 $10,000 or imprisoned for not more than five years, or both. :>W:lfD;)SHK(r$Iy2lj\*vj-Wf8+GfJs &Xsua9fqsJYKk~(FbD*fwG[VEiG]e29^Qv($6,9arts1y$ GS?u(-4Wc-J(,_@&U 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. Home ownership While many have gone back to work, the unemployment rate remains significantly higher than it was before the pandemic. 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. Texas Housing Assistance | Texas.gov 3 0 obj Recent updates February 2023. 0000015708 00000 n Mar 1, 2023. events. Applications will be processed in the order received, prioritizing those facing evictions. Texas Homeowner Assistance Official Website Member Newsletters (MEMBERS ONLY) The TDHCA runs the Texas Rent Relief program. Eviction - COVID-19 & Texas Law - Guides at Texas State Law Library 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. 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. Texas Rent Relief Program Re-Opens Applications for Limited Time, March 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. And were also looking for ways to streamline, reduce documentation burdens, and well continue to adapt as needed, Wilkinson said. 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. 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. Tenant Protections Under the Texas Emergency Order Regarding the Texas Updated information and a lease for the new unit will be required in the AFR application. Late fees over 12% of your monthly rent (10% for properties with more than four units) are unreasonable. Women In Business. The Texas Rent Relief program was set up to help people pay their bills. <>/Metadata 393 0 R/ViewerPreferences 394 0 R>> The application software issue has been resolved. Texas Rent Relief : r/texas - reddit 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. Our vision is to inspire and engage our members and stakeholders to end the affordable housing crisis in Texas. 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. Body: Case ID. In those cases, the check was initially sent to the wrong property and only arrived after the tenant was kicked out. Renters: How to Get Rent Relief - Investopedia 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. They were very well informed that that money was there and it was coming to them, said Scott, whos now living in a short-term rental in Missouri City with her four kids. 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. All past-due rent and utilities (back to March 13, 2020) will be paid first. 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. 2 0 obj Mar 1, 2023. events. 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. 4 0 obj Sign up for our Friends of TAAHP email list to learn more about TAAHP, critical industry issues, and hear about upcoming event and education opportunities. Texas Rent Relief : r/texas - reddit Prior to 2019, there was often confusion about what counted as a "reasonable" late fee. This tool helps find state and local rent and utility assistance near your location. The Texas rent relief program has only made three payments despite being online for over . 0000002829 00000 n Under the program rules, landlords are allowed to evict only in specific situations, such as lease violations related to criminal activity, property damage or physical harm to others, Mintz pointed out. 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. 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.. Texas has only made 3 rent relief payments Its awesome. You know, we just had the problems from [the pandemic] last year, which everybody did.. 0000078000 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. Then she gave up her job at the Katy hospital to care once more for her youngest daughter. 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. 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. Rent - Landlord/Tenant Law - Guides at Texas State Law Library We continue to see a strong need for assistance, and eviction filings statewide have now returned to pre-pandemic levels. 0000014023 00000 n Then they mailed it to the wrong address twice and they want to evict me. 0000009428 00000 n As much as we work to mitigate human error, the potential for application errors exists. 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.