Those facing eviction should seek legal assistance, go to their eviction hearing, and stay in communication with their landlord and the court. 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. This guide is updated to reflect information pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic. 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. 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. 8. Her former landlord had taken the rent relief funds after they evicted her. V o l . We strive to always do better, Tirloni said in an email. Prior to any payment being made to a tenant directly, TRR will make three attempts to request that the landlord participates in the program via email, phone, or text, over no less than a 5 calendar-day period. It got off to a rocky start when it signed up just a few hundred people in the first few months. Some local governments still have money for rent help, but those funds may soon run out, as well. State Bar of Texas Lawyer Referral Service, Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA), NLIHC COVID-19 State and Local Rental Assistance, Housing Legal Advice Hotline (St. Mary's School of Law), Nearly 600,000 Texans Will Lose Access to a Program That Prevented Electricity Shut-Offs During the Pandemic on Oct. 1 (8/27/2020), Texas Regulators Vote to Ban Residential Utility Shut-Offs During Pandemic While Buoying Companies (3/26/2020), Please take our patron satisfaction survey. 0000001196 00000 n 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. 0000012097 00000 n This Plano family got evicted after the Texas Rent Relief program paid the wrong landlord. 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. She said the past few months have been hard. We believe owners have done their best to try to understand the intricacies of the program and comply with its requirements, Mintz said. Cities and counties that operate local rental assistance programs have $368 million. Business This news article provides an overview of the Texas Public Utilities Commission's recent order and how it will affect customers in Texas. TDHCA has taken very seriously the responsibility of helping Texas renters and landlords overcome the financial burden brought on by the pandemic, Tirloni said. The fund is designed to provide rent relief for renters experiencing financial hardship. See our Eviction page for information on the CDC's eviction moratorium and other eviction topics. It takes away your pride and makes me feel like I failed as a parent. r.t)gfv9~;Y>)?4{(gbx|/Ipv.8|0a(#0`~GhFc=pxr1{YpG0 Find a complete list of them here. He oversees the state's executive branch, including the housing and community affairs department. 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. Texas has nearly $692 million available through its statewide rent relief program. 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. I did everything right, and to still have my stuff thrown down the street its just something that Im still trying to process, Gates said. I think any landlord that accepted money or got money directly for rent absolutely should not have evicted anyone, Garcia said. Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. After the software glitches, they were asked to resubmit their applications. 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. And frankly, theyre tired.. Documentation of Lease: Tenants who are requesting AFR to pay for rent at a new unit must provide a copy of their new lease. You can even upload documents for an attorney to review. Do you value our journalism? %PDF-1.7 % 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. By the end of March, only 250 people had actually got help paying for rent out of. 1 0 obj The landlord submits any information or documentation to receive payment as part of a rent relief program. But she still hasnt found a place to live. <>/Metadata 393 0 R/ViewerPreferences 394 0 R>> The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) has made some changes to the Texas Rent Relief Program in order to make the application and payout process easier. 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. 0000020271 00000 n For example, the program bars landlords from accepting rent relief payments after they evict a tenant. 0000003018 00000 n While many have gone back to work, the unemployment rate remains significantly higher than it was before the pandemic. Texas Rent Relief assistance payments to landlords and utility providers are considered taxable income. Two months later, Scott received an email acknowledging her complaint but said she hasnt heard back since. 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. Education / Webinars the Emergency Rental Assistance Program in Texas. by Joshua Fechter I am being evicted for not paying rent. Texas Rent Relief approved her for a little over $3,100 about three months worth of rent. Altogether, about $2 billion of the federal rental and utility assistance funds approved by Congress last year were earmarked for Texas. 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. Two landlords, like Scotts, evicted their tenants in the period between the initial rent relief application and when the government money arrived and then kept it an apparent violation of the programs requirements for landlords. This news article describes the phasing out of a program designed to halt utility shut-offs that was implemented in March. 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. In February, Texas launched a program to help people who had missed rent payments because of the pandemic. 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. Rental assistance payments will generally be made directly to landlords participating in the program, unless they cannot be reached, their relationship with the tenant application cannot be established in a timely manner, or they do not agree to accept the payment. Jeff Williams, a Harris County justice of the peace, had approved the eviction without Scott present in court a typical outcome in eviction cases when tenants dont show up to their hearings. -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 . KERA also reached out to Gov. 0000026104 00000 n TDHCA says it has received more than 7,500 complaints through the hotline not all of them related to fraud, waste or abuse but the agency wont say how many times it has referred cases to outside agencies for investigation. For more information on returning a payment, email [email protected]. Hope this timeline helps someone! Financial supporters play no role in the Tribunes journalism. 2 '.&& ,f1. These funds may be disbursed to either tenants or landlords. 0000058095 00000 n 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. Eligible households can apply online or over the phone for first-time or additional program assistance. 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. To a question about whether the application website is mobile-friendly, he replied, its mobile-compatible. Landlord Application Information. Texas Rent Relief Program has $96M remaining to help Texans affected by the pandemic. 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. 0000068016 00000 n Monday-Friday 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. CST Help is available in multiple languages. 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. Applications in this set-aside will be processed first to decrease application processing time and increase the likelihood of evictions being diverted. This page has answers to questions about the Texas Rent Relief Program for both landlords and tenants. The state of Texas has more than one billion dollars to give out to people who need help paying their bills. For the past year, housing advocates have been pointing to the slow-rolling housing crisis brought on by the pandemic. Alexander Stamm, an attorney with Texas RioGrande Legal Aid who is representing Gates, said Musselman shouldnt have let the trial take place at all because of a Texas Supreme Court order requiring judges to postpone eviction cases if a landlord confirms they have joined a tenants application for rent relief. Hosted every Wednesday, at 6:30 p.m., by the. Texas Rent Relief approved help for me August 27th. 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 . 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 This time period has been shortened based on direction from the Department of Treasury. 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. Johnsons lawyer recorded the call. 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 state-level program meant to help both Texas renters impacted financially by the pandemic and their landlords announced Thursday morning that it would stop taking new applications for . The same day, her landlord told Johnson her lease wouldnt be renewed when it expired the following week, she said. 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. %PDF-1.7 Mar 1, 2023. events. The Texas Rent Relief Program will be run by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. On Wednesday, the head of the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs took questions from lawmakers about the troubled rollout of the program. 0000030653 00000 n Our constituents experienced significant unreliability during an already challenging set of circumstances, all the while, both renters and landlords alike had unclear direction from TDHCA for weeks or months if and when the approved funds would finally arrive, the lawmakers wrote. Job Listings Expected time in this status: less than one week. Attempts to reach the property owner RDRH Holdings Inc., an Austin-based corporation and its president were unsuccessful. Landlord associated with the application will receive an email notification of . Texas Housing Conference 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. Late fees over 12% of your monthly rent (10% for properties with more than four units) are unreasonable. TXHAF provides eligible homeowners with . 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. It is kind of a miracle that they are able to do it.. Body: Case ID. 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. 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. Utilities, Clothing for Children, Employment assistance services. ?$.#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, A switch to a new software caused system outages and forced applicants to reapply. Women In Business. View The Texas Eviction Diversion Program Highlights. The reallocation process only applies to duplicate payments between our program and Texas Rent Relief. If both payments came from our program, the duplicate payment must be returned. You can also get financial assistance for rent, food, and other expenses by turning to other organizations. Best of luck to you and anyone needing this assistance. But I dont want to give up.. Recent updates February 2023. 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.