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. The idea of landlords taking rent relief dollars and still evicting tenants is outrageous, she said, and could warrant investigation. I trusted them, Scott said. Body: Case ID. As a nonprofit newsroom, we rely on members to help keep our stories free and our events open to the public. 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. The Texas Rent Relief Program will be run by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. Health Librarians at the State Law Library can provide information about the law, but cannot give legal advice. Anticipated time to receive payment: 7-14 days Request for assistance has been denied. And frankly, theyre tired.. trailer <]/Prev 155979>> startxref 0 %%EOF 48 0 obj <>stream TDHCA announced that they would be accepting new applications in March of 2023 to distribute the remaining funds. Weve had to handhold our residents through these various processes, obtaining the correct documentation, helping them with scanning, Mattingly was told by one landlord. Updated information and a lease for the new unit will be required in the AFR application. Both the federal and state government added enforcement provisions when they created the rent relief programs. You can also call the TDHCA's fraud hotline if you think your landlord may be mishandling the funds: (833) 61-FRAUD or (833) 613-7283. Also, the application status in the Neighborly system will be updated when the payment has been made. 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 . Let the judge know if any of these things have happened. 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. Stephanie Gates also thought the state rent relief program would save her from an eviction. 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. 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. Now, with a remaining $96 million in rent relief funds, the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) re-opened the Texas Rent Relief Program (TRR) and online applications through the portal will be accepted for a limited time from March 14 to 28. Closed from 12 to 1pm for lunch. If you live in Texas no matter if you are landlord or tenants this program will help you, the simplest way is to apply for Texas Emergency rent assistance for covid 19, Visit the website, Create a account, and apply online. As much as we work to mitigate human error, the potential for application errors exists. All TDHCA employees and contractor employees have a responsibility to report waste, fraud and abuse within the agency. The states leadership shouldve been prepared to get money out to struggling renters as soon as Congress approved the funding, Rosales said, but instead have focused on their own political interests. Updated: 8 AM Central. Prior to 2019, there was often confusion about what counted as a "reasonable" late fee. 4 0 obj <> endobj xref Cherice Scotts son, 6-year-old Teegan McKinney, plays at a park in Houston. Job Listings %PDF-1.7 View The Texas Eviction Diversion Program Highlights. by Joshua Fechter Arts + Culture ?$.#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, The State Auditors Office declined to say whether it has launched any investigations into potential fraud, waste and abuse of the program. If you need help paying rent in Katy, or other financial assistance, reach out to Katy Christian Ministries for more information on their programs. Sign up here. Exactly how many people have fallen behind on rent over the past year is unclear. Software problems left the program struggling and spotty, with tenants and landlords complaining of accessibility problems, unanswered phone calls and the inability to check the status of an application, according to the report. 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. 0000017510 00000 n The . 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. 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. There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. % If the agency finds the allegations are credible, it can refer the cases to the state auditors office, the Treasurys inspector general or local law enforcement agencies. from 8 AM - 9 PM ET. Texas Coronavirus Relief Bill Rental Assistance Program administered by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. Show us with your support. Around that time, Johnson said she caught COVID-19 and had to miss a month of work. As a nonprofit newsroom, we rely on members to help keep our stories free and our events open to the public. If issues are discovered or brought to our attention, like payments sent to an incorrect address, or payments sent to a landlord who has evicted the tenant, we will take corrective measures, like recapture or other necessary steps.. Lone Star Legal Aid is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit law firm focused on advocacy for low-income and underserved populations. You can also get financial assistance for rent, food, and other expenses by turning to other organizations. 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. Most states have lifted their . 0000015708 00000 n According to the report, of the 176,000 people who have begun applications, just over 1,000 have had their applications approved. By clicking the plus sign by one of the listed programs, the page will expand and provide the full details of that program. April 8, 2022 "To date, Texas Rent Relief has served more than 316,000 households affected by the pandemic. TDHCA has taken very seriously the responsibility of helping Texas renters and landlords overcome the financial burden brought on by the pandemic, Tirloni said. 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. Larry Berman New Keynote Speaker For Vietnam War Conference Banquet. 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. endobj The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) created this COVID-19 relief program in February of 2021. endobj April 7, 20215 PM Central. A free legal hotline available to South Texas residents. By the end of March, only 250 people had actually got help paying for rent out of 72,000 completed applications. 0000088072 00000 n For Landlords who applied for unpaid or future rent on behalf of tenants. Applications to the relief program can be submitted beginning March 14. There have been nearly 50,000 eviction filings in Houston since the beginning of the pandemic. Have you subscribed to our free weekly newsletter? Expected time in this status: less than one week. Landlords can get up to 15 months of rent paid through this program, but only if they don't evict. 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. Please take our patron satisfaction survey! The first payment never came because they had a Covid outbreak. The program will also have a call . 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. Texas Tech To Host Art Gallery. 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. Tenant applicants who have received a notice of utility disconnection are now prioritized for application review similarly to those applicants being sued for eviction. 4 45 Newly homeless, Gates stood on the curb in the cold guarding her belongings until a friend could get off work to help her move them. Shes impressed by how many do persevere. Documentation of Lease: Tenants who are requesting AFR to pay for rent at a new unit must provide a copy of their new lease. 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. Ask us! If tenants feel they have been unjustly evicted, they can appeal the eviction, Mintz said. All applications will be processed in the order they are received, giving priority to those households facing evictions. Texans shouldnt have to overcome so many bureaucratic and technological challenges just to get help that Congress already funded, Rosales said. Theres no excuse, Rosales said. Feb 27, 2023. 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). Advocacy Alerts The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs also offers a website about this program. Wilkinson said many people who tried to apply may need to go back and take extra steps to complete the application. Founded in 1997, the Texas Affiliation of Affordable Housing Providers (TAAHP) is a non-profit trade association serving as the primary advocate and leading resource for the affordable housing industry in Texas. 0000068016 00000 n Monday-Friday 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. CST Help is available in multiple languages. 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. It hurts, that really hurts. First-time applicants may be eligible for up to 18 months of aid with rent and utility bills. Scott wanted to know: What happened to the rent relief money? Eligibility: For anyone who currently rents in the United States and resides in any of the properties Esusu works with. The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) created the Texas Rent Relief program to help Texas renters pay rent and utility bills (including past due rent and utilities). 2023 Texas Affiliation of Affordable Housing Providers. Some rent relief programs, including the Texas Rent Relief Program, will make your landlord forgo all unreasonable late fees. 3/11/2021 Funding Update: $918,238,535 available My landlord has signed up with bill.com to receive payment via ACH, so hopefully, he will receive payment sooner than later. 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. 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. Top Listings TDHCA announced that they would be accepting new applications in March of 2023 to distribute the remaining funds. The property manager quickly confirmed that they had and Jasso tossed the eviction. Find the program in your area by state , territory, or tribe and apply for Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA). 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. What is clear is that a lot of Texans could use the help of the Texas Rent Relief program. 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. Texas Rent Relief assistance payments to landlords and utility providers are considered taxable income. It got off to a rocky start when it signed up just a few hundred people in the first few months. 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. 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. ;+h-WZXi ZrzOK4-X6~PR,JtV J5G! I can understand an apartment complex coming at this point in the process and saying, It's time to figure out what's going to happen here or move forward, Musselman said. 0000008211 00000 n Calls to Musemeche were not returned. 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. Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. 0000048055 00000 n Mattingly said more than 400 of his companys residents have tried to apply to the program. 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. 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. 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. The landlord participates in the tenant's application for rent relief, or 3. 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. Member Newsletters (MEMBERS ONLY) Approvals have. 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. Applications can be also made . 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. You will get a 30-minute legal consultation with information, advice, and resources. Her former landlord had taken the rent relief funds after they evicted her. Policy and Regulatory Updates (MEMBERS ONLY) Texas Rent Relief gave me a second (or duplicate) payment for a tenant's month of rent. 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. "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.". 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. How are landlords going to have faith in a rental relief program, and how are they going to hang on their tenants when this is happening? Rosales said. 0000010218 00000 n A group of Austin-area lawmakers state Reps. Celia Israel, Sheryl Cole, Vikki Goodwin, Gina Hinojosa, Donna Howard and Eddie Rodriguez alerted TDHCA this week that they have seen alarming calls from constituents whose rent relief money went to the wrong address, and called on the agency to fix the problem. 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. Then she gave up her job at the Katy hospital to care once more for her youngest daughter. Now, with a remaining $96 million in rent relief funds, the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) re-opened the Texas Rent Relief Program (TRR) and online applications through the portal will be accepted for a limited time from March 14 to 28. To receive help from Katy Christian Ministries you must live in one of the following zip codes: 77084, 77094, 77406, 77423, 77441, 77449, 77450, 77464, 77476, 77485, 77493, 77494 All Rights Reserved. The reallocation process only applies to duplicate payments between our program and Texas Rent Relief. But housing advocates and lawyers who represent tenants facing eviction say they routinely see cases of Texas landlords accepting thousands of dollars from the government and evicting the tenants the money was intended to help. The TDHCA runs the Texas Rent Relief program. 2. According to a legislative report, of the 176,000 people who have begun applications for rental assistance, just over 1,000 have had their applications approved. #4'x= 3r8 #TH(fY'O3 }~\N |iz$&dr_~azLN~u($~^ K H!K @gq4. Since the program launched in February 2021, TRR has provided over $2 billion in emergency funds for rent and utility relief, served 250 Texas counties and prevented evictions for over 21,000 households. The email and template I was provided: [email protected] Subject: Your Tenant case id. Late Fees. The state's $1.9 billion rental assistance program, which launched during the pandemic, has helped more . 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. 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. 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. Payments have been approved for more than 2,200 additional households, the agency dashboard indicated Friday. The Texas rent relief program has only made three payments despite being online for over . 4 0 obj A spokesperson did not respond to the request for comment.