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. As of July 26, more than 95,000 households have received assistance from the Texas Rent Relief Program, and almost $600 million in relief has been paid out, according to the TDHCA. Shes focused on finding a new place for her and her seven children to live. <>/Metadata 393 0 R/ViewerPreferences 394 0 R>> 0000026187 00000 n Mar 1, 2023. events. Health Donate to join or renew today. Scotts former landlord Blazer Real Estate Services, a Houston property management company did not respond to calls and emails requesting comment. See our Eviction page for information on the CDC's eviction moratorium and other eviction topics. Some households will still qualify for the program while others will not. This news article provides an overview of the Texas Public Utilities Commission's recent order and how it will affect customers in Texas. Postal Mail: 2401 E 6th Street, Ste 3037, PMB 153, Austin, TX 78702. 4 0 obj <> endobj xref Residents of McNair, Baytown, Highlands or Chambers County. For Landlords who applied for unpaid or future rent on behalf of tenants. 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). 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. The Texas Rent Relief (TRR) program provides Texas tenants with financial help with rent and utility bills. A spokesperson did not respond to the request for comment. 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. 0000068016 00000 n 0000030653 00000 n 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. In these cases, payments will be made directly to the tenant, who then is required to pay the landlord. 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). After submitting, applicants should watch for communication from TRR in case additional information is needed for application. 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. pk}b=^ ;+2b4+rU:"KOJF&. Cherice Scotts son, 6-year-old Teegan McKinney, plays at a park in Houston. Applicants must still provide all other required program documentation and must provide evidence of the notice of utility disconnection. You will get a 30-minute legal consultation with information, advice, and resources. KPRC 2 Investigates has received dozens of complaints from people all . 0000032455 00000 n Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. At the federal level, that job falls to the U.S. Treasury Departments Office of Inspector General. 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. However, Tarrant County's Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP), along with programs administered by the cities of Arlington and Fort Worth, will . Home ownership Texas closed the rent relief program to new applicants in November, citing overwhelming demand for rental assistance dollars. As of Feb. 17, Gates former landlord hadnt done so, Stamm said. Some areas still ban evictions outright. 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. 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. Interests 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. Business 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. 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. 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. We strive to always do better, Tirloni said in an email. 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. Sign up here. 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. This is our third or fourth round of rental assistance for some of these folks, and the documentation process for each round has been different and the application process has been a little bit different, he said. Regardless of your immigration status, you will be eligible for rent relief if you have been adversely affected by COVID-19 or are . Expected time in this status: less than one week. But it's not a fast process. 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. "To date, Texas Rent Relief has served . 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. 0000088009 00000 n Landlords can get up to 15 months of rent paid through this program, but only if they don't evict. 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. Payment in Process Good news! Johnsons lawyer recorded the call. Eligibility: For anyone who currently rents in the United States and resides in any of the properties Esusu works with. 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. 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 TXHAF is administered by TDHCA with funding provided under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. 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. Request for assistance has been verified and approved. No New Applications Accepted The statewide program doled out more than $1.2 billion to 212,344 households. We believe owners have done their best to try to understand the intricacies of the program and comply with its requirements, Mintz said. I hope everyone gets the assistance that they need. But the tenants are still the ones holding the bag.. For households who applied directly for unpaid or future rent or utilities. The Housing Assistance Program (HAP)* provides financial assistance to renters experiencing emergency hardships from COVID-19 and to keep families in their homes. 0000023877 00000 n Legislative Updates (MEMBERS ONLY) Lee Reznicek, a property manager who oversees Gates former home for Austin-based Hill Country Property Management, declined to comment when reached by email. Texas Rent Relief Program by Joshua Fechter Tenants who are requesting AFR and have remained in the same unit as their original request and for whom the months of assistance requested as part of the AFR are outside of the term for the lease submitted with the tenants initial application (including if the lease is now month-to-month), or if the tenant did not provide a lease as part of their initial application, verbal confirmation with the tenant or landlord to confirm the tenant is still in the unit is acceptable proof of tenancy. A Texas rent relief program has been plagued by problems. 0000048118 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). 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. 0000014023 00000 n The Apartment Association of Greater Dallas has compiled a list of state and local rental assistance programs. Release of information or other details will be required under some circumstances. Please reload the page and try again. This guide is updated to reflect information pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic. Northwest Assistance Ministries: 281-583-5600. We look at Texas Tech's award-winning magazine. In her case, the check arrived in time but went to the wrong place. Interests Texas has nearly $692 million available through its statewide rent relief program. Perhaps it goes without saying but producing quality journalism isn't cheap. It turns out the state program had sent the check in September to the wrong address. Community Those facing eviction should seek legal assistance, go to their eviction hearing, and stay in communication with their landlord and the court. Some rent relief programs, including the Texas Rent Relief Program, will make your landlord forgo all unreasonable late fees. They told her there was no way to see if they had received it, she said. By the end of March, only 250 people had actually got help paying for rent out of 72,000 completed applications. Landlord Application Information. In March 2022, Texas Rent Relief received additional funding to the tune of $47.8 million from the U.S. Treasury Department. 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. 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 . But I dont want to give up.. Wilkinson said many people who tried to apply may need to go back and take extra steps to complete the application. The same day, her landlord told Johnson her lease wouldnt be renewed when it expired the following week, she said. Whoops! 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. 0000008211 00000 n 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. 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. Anticipated time to receive payment: 7-14 days Request for assistance has been denied. But none of the agencies contacted by the Tribune would say whether any landlord has been credibly accused of taking rent relief money and improperly ousting their tenants, or whether they have imposed penalties on landlords for doing so. Yet they still pushed us out.. Her former landlord had taken the rent relief funds after they evicted her. 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. Around the time of the eviction, Scott and her husband separated. 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. Questions? A free legal hotline available to South Texas residents. 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. 0000020158 00000 n Find a complete list of them here. Mon: 8 to 5pm. Media Availability Planned For Texas Tech's 8th Annual Ambassadors' Forum. Fo;o7d0ywL|JR!xM%|{GGk#x5OOs=cj ldk6yQhvuFPH:A3w7p^km,xa5qJCzGn` Qm;\]RR)RfZzua!v" ExqKgp?NLR}.ka2`Rpbtm!#9#OF4?1B&|[email protected][2d(K8&8 \l=>` 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 Texas Rent Relief (TRR) program provides Texas tenants with financial help with rent and utility bills. The state is using the more than $1 billion in money from the latest federal COVID-19. In late March she started a new job teaching at an early learning center. 0000003018 00000 n 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. Payment is in process. 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. He oversees the state's executive branch, including the housing and community affairs department. 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. reckless endangerment sentence wisconsin, live through an ordeal crossword clue,

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