About the Texas Rent Relief Program Both landlords and tenants were able to use this website to create an account and submit their application. 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. 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. And a large and growing percentage of that is over a year old at this point.. Eligible households can apply online or over the phone for first-time or additional program assistance. Legislative Updates (MEMBERS ONLY) All Rights Reserved.. Plano Dentist Pleaded Guilty To COVID-19-Related Fraud, $22.8 Million Grant To Help Prevent Homelessness In Dallas And Collin Counties, North Texas Judge Blocks Student Loan Forgiveness, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. Then she gave up her job at the Katy hospital to care once more for her youngest daughter. 0000009428 00000 n You will get a 30-minute legal consultation with information, advice, and resources. I shouldnt have.. pk}b=^ ;+2b4+rU:"KOJF&. Applications to the relief program can be submitted beginning March 14. A Texas rent relief program has been plagued by problems. 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. You can find the names and phone numbers of these organizations below. And frankly, theyre tired.. Sign up here. Our evening roundup will help you stay on top of the day's latest updates. A free legal hotline available to South Texas residents. Body: Case ID. 0000023877 00000 n 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. Texas Coronavirus Relief Bill Rental Assistance Program administered by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. 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. KPRC 2 Investigates has received dozens of complaints from people all . Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. On Jan. 27, Williamson County constables came to execute the eviction. We look at Texas Tech's award-winning magazine. Health Please reload the page and try again. This news article provides an overview of the Texas Public Utilities Commission's recent order and how it will affect customers in Texas. 4 0 obj Women In Business. <> Even if the rent relief check was in hand, it wouldnt have covered the amount sought by the landlord, Musselman said. *Must make an appointment. 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. The email and template I was provided: Support@texasrentrelief.com Subject: Your Tenant case id. You cant have it both ways with Texas Rent Relief, Stamm said. Housing experts say they expect expiration of the eviction rules will make the already spotty protections of the eviction moratorium even more unevenly applied. 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. The state received another $47 million in March, which TDHCA said would go toward helping tenants who applied before the November cutoff. According to the report, of the 176,000 people who have begun applications, just over 1,000 have had their applications approved. Texas Rent Relief gave me a second (or duplicate) payment for a tenant's month of rent. Past due, current and up to 2 months of expected rent costs, Past due, current and up to 2 months of expected utility and home energy expenses, After the initial 3 months of current/future assistance, renters were able to apply for 3 additional months of assistance if funds were still available, If you suspect fraud, waste or abuse please call, View the Texas Rent Relief Program Dashboard (Dashboard in English), https://www.tdhca.state.tx.us/covid19-response.htm. In those cases, the check was initially sent to the wrong property and only arrived after the tenant was kicked out. Member Newsletters (MEMBERS ONLY) In order to collect this late fee, the landlord must have included notice of it in a written lease. 0000098112 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). 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. 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. But those are the exact grounds that RDRH Holdings cited when it sued to evict Gates, Stamm said. 0000030653 00000 n And only 250 of payments have been sent. Mar 1, 2023. events. Arts + Culture These changes go into effect on April 21st, 2021. Then they mailed it to the wrong address twice and they want to evict me. Tirloni said the agency doesnt track what portion of those clawed-back funds came from landlords found to have improperly evicted their tenants after receiving assistance or categorize what scenarios would result in recapturing the money. Altogether, about $2 billion of the federal rental and utility assistance funds approved by Congress last year were earmarked for Texas. 0000024288 00000 n Some households will still qualify for the program while others will not. endobj Interests Tenant applicants who have received a notice of utility disconnection are now prioritized for application review similarly to those applicants being sued for eviction. ;+h-WZXi ZrzOK4-X6~PR,JtV J5G! "To date, Texas Rent Relief has served . Applications can be also made . *L#H0o=M6S:{D A^o l'a7*, 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. Member Editorials (MEMBERS ONLY) Its peoples lives at stake here, because when evictions happen, their lives are torn apart. But I dont want to give up.. 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. TDHCA operates the state hotline where complaints originate. 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. If tenants feel they have been unjustly evicted, they can appeal the eviction, Mintz said. 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. 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. 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, Policy and Regulatory Updates (MEMBERS ONLY) 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. TXHAF provides eligible homeowners with . New applications are not being accepted. Even if the programs software and staffing struggles have been addressed, Rosales still worries that the programs reliance on online applications will leave eligible renters unable to apply. 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. If you have evidence, be sure to bring it to court. 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. Visit the TDHCA contact us page for information. QAP Alerts (MEMBERS ONLY) 2401 E 6th Street, Ste 3037, PMB 153, Austin, TX 78702. Then you can type what your issue or concern. . Subscribe to recieve Local Profile email updates every Monday and Thursday. 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 . Requests for Proposals/Quotes (MEMBERS ONLY). Read on for a look at these new changes, and visit our Rent and Legal Assistance page on the COVID-19 & Texas Law guide for more information. But she said the program doesnt allow landlords to receive back rent if theyve evicted a tenant the opposite of what the email to Scott said. The landlord participates in the tenant's application for rent relief, or 3. In order to receive federal rent relief funds through the state, landlords had to sign an agreement that forbids them from evicting tenants for nonpayment during the time period covered by the assistance. Two months later, Scott received an email acknowledging her complaint but said she hasnt heard back since. The landlord submits any information or documentation to receive payment as part of a rent relief program. 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. Closed from 12 to 1pm for lunch. The Texas Rent Relief Program will shut down its application portal at 5 p.m. on Friday. The program has emergency funds available to help Texas renters pay rent and utility bills (including past due rent and utilities). UPDATE: Accepting New Applications For Limited Time, March 14-28, 2023. There have been nearly 50,000 eviction filings in Houston since the beginning of the pandemic. Do you value our journalism? 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). Education / Webinars Check status periodically. 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. 4 0 obj <> endobj xref Release of information or other details will be required under some circumstances. 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. As a nonprofit newsroom, we rely on members to help keep our stories free and our events open to the public. Click here to search the TDHCA database. 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. SOURCE Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, Cision Distribution 888-776-0942 endobj There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Failure to respond would only delay the application process. And only 250 payments have been sent. In June, Gates said she lost her job after she missed a week of work because of a medical problem. Lifestyle V o l . 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. As of Feb. 17, Gates former landlord hadnt done so, Stamm said. In March 2022, Texas Rent Relief received additional funding to the tune of $47.8 million from the U.S. Treasury Department. But it's not a fast process. 0000025788 00000 n 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. But she still hasnt found a place to live. It's embarrassing, Scott said. For households who applied directly for unpaid or future rent or utilities. He oversees the state's executive branch, including the housing and community affairs department. Click Here For Information about Accepting Payments. <>/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>> 2023 Texas Affiliation of Affordable Housing Providers. TAAHP does not facilitate applications for affordable housing. Stephanie Gates also thought the state rent relief program would save her from an eviction. Texas has nearly $692 million available through its statewide rent relief program. Lee Reznicek, a property manager who oversees Gates former home for Austin-based Hill Country Property Management, declined to comment when reached by email. All past-due rent and utilities (back to March 13, 2020) will be paid first. My landlord has signed up with bill.com to receive payment via ACH, so hopefully, he will receive payment sooner than later. 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. 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 . Your rent and/or utility relief payments will be made directly to your landlord and utility companies. 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. 0000010218 00000 n Feb 27, 2023. This guide is updated to reflect information pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic. Scotts former landlord Blazer Real Estate Services, a Houston property management company did not respond to calls and emails requesting comment. Musselman sided with Gates landlord and granted the eviction. 0000008211 00000 n Applications in this set-aside will be processed first to decrease application processing time and increase the likelihood of evictions being diverted. Her landlord gave her until the end of May to do so. Effectiveness of. April 7, 20215 PM Central. But the program had fixed that error, the email said. Home ownership Texas Rent Relief approved help for me August 27th. Copyright by the Texas State Law Library. Events / Networking Opportunities An employee at Blazers office who answered the phone declined to answer questions. I was a good tenant, Gates 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. 0000001407 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. Texas' rent relief program has been plagued by problems that slow payments and could prompt evictions According to a legislative report, of the 176,000 people who have begun applications. To receive help from Katy Christian Ministries you must live in one of the following zip codes: 77084, 77094, 77406, 77423, 77441, 77449, 77450, 77464, 77476, 77485, 77493, 77494 The reallocation process only applies to duplicate payments between our program and Texas Rent Relief. Things To Do Mailbag: Evermore. Funds may not still be available by the time a household applies. Wilkinson said many people who tried to apply may need to go back and take extra steps to complete the application. 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. When you click on the link for the first time, you will need to be prepared with a valid email address. This time period has been shortened based on direction from the Department of Treasury. 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. Cities and counties that operate local rental assistance programs have $368 million. Texans shouldnt have to overcome so many bureaucratic and technological challenges just to get help that Congress already funded, Rosales said. I hope everyone gets the assistance that they need. Perhaps it goes without saying but producing quality journalism isn't cheap. COVID-19 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. 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.
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