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. Requests for Proposals/Quotes (MEMBERS ONLY). Its peoples lives at stake here, because when evictions happen, their lives are torn apart. The Tribune contacted government agencies involved in the program and found that none of them including the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, which runs the state rent relief program track how often this happens. 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. Nov. 9, 2021 - (Tarrant County) - As of Friday, Nov. 5 at 5 p.m., the Texas Rent Relief Program (TRR), the State of Texas' rental assistance program, stopped accepting applications. Shes focused on finding a new place for her and her seven children to live. Are you a Texas resident looking for affordable housing? 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. "The COVID-19 pandemic has placed a significant financial strain on many Texans, and the Texas Rent Relief Program will provide an incredible lifeline to households in need of assistance on their rent and utility payments," said Governor Abbott. Interests Some tenants who spoke to the Tribune about their cases said they called a hotline used to report fraud, waste and abuse in the state rent relief program and never heard back about their complaints. As a nonprofit newsroom, we rely on members to help keep our stories free and our events open to the public. 0000017510 00000 n SOURCE Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, Cision Distribution 888-776-0942 Scott wanted to know: What happened to the rent relief money? The Texas Rent Relief Program will be run by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. 0000003417 00000 n Latest by Joshua Fechter Texas Housing Conference 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. April 7, 20215 PM Central. Failure to respond would only delay the application process. 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. 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). 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. Texas law allows landlords to collect "reasonable" late fees if any portion of the rent remains unpaid more than two full days after it was due. It hurts, that really hurts. The program will also have a call . These changes go into effect on April 21st, 2021. Altogether, about $2 billion of the federal rental and utility assistance funds approved by Congress last year were earmarked for Texas. The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) created this COVID-19 relief program in February of 2021. 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. Researchers have offered estimates of past-due rent in the U.S. ranging from $8.4 billion to $52.6 billion. Greg Abbott for comment on the report. 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. Since February the state of Texas has paid landlords more than one billion dollars for tenants who can't afford to pay rent. Release of information or other details will be required under some circumstances. You will get a 30-minute legal consultation with information, advice, and resources. Texas Tech To Host Art Gallery. The state of Texas has more than one billion dollars to give out to people who need help paying their bills. Calls to Musemeche were not returned. Neighborhood Centers Inc: 713-665-3600. "To date, Texas Rent Relief has served . That happens even when tenants win their eviction cases in court. The fund is designed to provide rent relief for renters experiencing financial hardship. We're thankful for the opportunity to re-open Texas Rent Relief for two weeks to help more Texas tenants and landlords. Learn how Section 8 provides rental help Find housing services and information Texans can get housing assistance whether they live in rural or urban areas. This time period has been shortened based on direction from the Department of Treasury. 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. What is clear is that a lot of Texans could use the help of the Texas Rent Relief program. 0000078063 00000 n Johnsons landlord a partnership owned by Mark Musemeche, a Houston developer had already accepted more than $4,200 in federal money in August to pay four months of rent, according to a copy of Johnsons rent ledger she provided to the Tribune. April 8, 2022 Eligibility for all applicants who have not yet received the maximum amount of 15 months of assistance will receive an email invitation to submit an additional request for assistance 60 days after their previous payment was disbursed. Exactly how many people have fallen behind on rent over the past year is unclear. 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. No New Applications Accepted 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. 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. The application process is managed through a software application called Neighborly. TXHAF is administered by TDHCA with funding provided under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. As of last week, $20.1 million in rent relief has been recaptured, TDHCA spokesperson Kristina Tirloni said, adding that not all of that was connected to allegations of fraud, waste or abuse. And a large and growing percentage of that is over a year old at this point.. This guide is updated to reflect information pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic. Utility Payment Program Provides assistance to eligible Texas homeowners with qualified hardships to pay past due utility bills and up to three (3) months of prospective payments. 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. Information in this guide is subject to change at any time. TDHCA announced that they would be accepting new applications in March of 2023 to distribute the remaining funds. Lq]0BLaOy\s^ADJ| This news article provides an overview of the Texas Public Utilities Commission's recent order and how it will affect customers in Texas. 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. If you suspect fraud, waste or abuse please call (833) 61-FRAUD or (833) 613-7283. Texas Rent Relief assistance payments to landlords and utility providers are considered taxable income. 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. 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 . 0000048055 00000 n 1. For the past year, housing advocates have been pointing to the slow-rolling housing crisis brought on by the pandemic. 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 $96M in TRR funds. State of Texas | Statewide Search | Report Fraud in Texas | Texas Statutes, Site Map | Library Policies | Accessibility | Employment Opportunities, 205 West 14th Street, Austin, Texas 78701-1614. In a phone interview, Musselman declined to say why he ruled in favor of Gates landlord. 30j($>H&L&Q.]Ky,YIR _I@*v+ It turns out the state program had sent the check in September to the wrong address. The TDHCA runs the Texas Rent Relief program. 0000030653 00000 n 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. And only 250 payments have been sent. Her former landlord had taken the rent relief funds after they evicted her. 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. Business I hope everyone gets the assistance that they need. The state received another $47 million in March, which TDHCA said would go toward helping tenants who applied before the November cutoff. 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). 0000098050 00000 n Thieves had walked off with their electronics. 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. 2021 Program Information. Policy and Regulatory Updates (MEMBERS ONLY) Governor Abbott and TDHCA launched the Texas Rent Relief program in February 2021 the first statewide rent and utility assistance program for qualifying households throughout Texas. 0000030230 00000 n The state is using the more than $1 billion in money from the latest federal COVID-19. 0000058032 00000 n View The Texas Eviction Diversion Program Highlights. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribunes journalism. The Texas Homeowner Assistance Fund Program (TXHAF) provides financial assistance to qualified Texas homeowners who have fallen behind on their mortgage and related expenses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Most states have lifted their . 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. Most went into the statewide Texas Rent Relief program, and the rest when to city and county governments. Tenants who are unable to access their existing online application may call the call center for assistance, and documentation related to existing applications may be accepted by postal mail at the following address. SACRAMENTO - California's COVID-19 Rent Relief Program is reaching a significant milestone today - by the end of the day, more than $1 billion in funding will be obligated - meaning the money has either been paid or approved for payment and awaiting disbursement - and will assist over 74,000 additional households. 0000014023 00000 n cy,a`G|~OOsQ>gR-"F HT$uUD$>@he^? Your rent and/or utility relief payments will be made directly to your landlord and utility companies. The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs also offers a website about this program. 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). 2023 Local Profile is a registered trademark of Community Profile LLC. 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. Our evening roundup will help you stay on top of the day's latest updates. The Texas Rent Relief Program is an opportunity to get up to 12 months of back due rent and even secure up to three months of future rent stability for tenants, as well as utility assistance. Legislative Updates (MEMBERS ONLY) Member Editorials (MEMBERS ONLY) Payment in Process Good news! 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. Interests She said the past few months have been hard. 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. Johnsons lawyer recorded the call. New applications are not being accepted. requested do not exceed the program limit of 15 months. It is kind of a miracle that they are able to do it.. Subscribe to recieve Local Profile email updates every Monday and Thursday. Texas Rent Relief approved her for a little over $3,100 about three months worth of rent. What do I do? 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. Texas Rent Relief gave me a second (or duplicate) payment for a tenant's month of rent. 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. 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 . P.O. ) I think any landlord that accepted money or got money directly for rent absolutely should not have evicted anyone, Garcia said. Stephanie Gates also thought the state rent relief program would save her from an eviction. Stephanie Gates rental assistance check initially went to the wrong address and reached her landlord less than two weeks after she was evicted from her Round Rock home in January. Im sitting thinking, My rents paid, OK, all I have to worry about is December and January, Gates said. She said she has spent thousands of dollars on application fees to at least 10 homes and apartment complexes and all of them have denied her because she now has an eviction on her record. You know, we just had the problems from [the pandemic] last year, which everybody did.. There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. The . You cant have it both ways with Texas Rent Relief, Stamm said. "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.". Tenant applicants who have received a notice of utility disconnection are now prioritized for application review similarly to those applicants being sued for eviction. The reallocation process only applies to duplicate payments between our program and Texas Rent Relief. Questions? 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. 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. 0000003018 00000 n KPRC 2 Investigates has received dozens of complaints from people all . 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. 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. Any allegations that either a renter or a rental property owner isnt following the program rules should be reported to the program to be investigated, he said. r.t)gfv9~;Y>)?4{(gbx|/Ipv.8|0a(#0`~GhFc=pxr1{YpG0 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. A spokesperson did not respond to the request for comment. Call to schedule an appointment with a legal representative. If both payments came from our program, the duplicate payment must be returned. Those facing eviction should seek legal assistance, go to their eviction hearing, and stay in communication with their landlord and the court. 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. Musselman sided with Gates landlord and granted the eviction. 0000024288 00000 n 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. All those folks acted in good faith on something that we offered them, that theyre by definition entitled toand by some sort of error, theyre not getting the relief that they need, and then the state Supreme Court let its rules around the eviction moratorium lapse, Bernal said. 3 0 obj But receiving rent relief dollars wasnt guaranteed, so some landlords filed for eviction in case the money didnt come through and as a last resort after months of going without rent, Mintz said. 2023 Texas Affiliation of Affordable Housing Providers. 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. TDHCA operates the state hotline where complaints originate. I am being evicted for not paying rent. 0000002829 00000 n Its awesome. 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. 0000005047 00000 n News from Members (MEMBERS ONLY) For example, the program bars landlords from accepting rent relief payments after they evict a tenant. 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. On Wednesday, the head of the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs took questions from lawmakers about the troubled rollout of the program. rental assistance programs, totaling $46.55 billion. QAP Alerts (MEMBERS ONLY) As much as we work to mitigate human error, the potential for application errors exists. But I dont want to give up.. Updated: 8 AM Central. See our Eviction page for information on the CDC's eviction moratorium and other eviction topics. Visit TexasRentRelief.com for more program highlights. 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. HWmo6_qf&..WVmFJ=GRIOtK^Sq|}"SiSm%S@xS|,NXAC,g uW,,myVH!eMJA^Te**gNx7{uFw vW\uMru JWMu;C,^NJvgVt>(,Y*-.=-zq5t:ATi:w#GG7/V=ohM{3wi5omHo;lpFEMBL%%-P|=fsWv@>f;&X6gji#~L8Uhg JVt`E\L+@j8J:,acf)#--iU)'bc/s/PK3d JC#p0;~mY>VORqiK:JOFrPTgfF:*c! Texas Coronavirus Relief Bill Rental Assistance Program administered by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. It got off to a rocky start when it signed up just a few hundred people in the first few months. 0000026187 00000 n The statewide program doled out more than $1.2 billion to 212,344 households. 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. By the end of March, only 250 people had actually got help paying for rent out of 72,000 completed applications. But The Texas Tribune interviewed tenants from across the state who were approved for federal rental assistance and were evicted anyway. But those are the exact grounds that RDRH Holdings cited when it sued to evict Gates, Stamm said. Funds may not still be available by the time a household applies. Best of luck to you and anyone needing this assistance. After submitting, applicants should watch for communication from TRR in case additional information is needed for application. Applications to the relief program can be submitted beginning March 14. 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. 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. We are learning more about why there are delays in the. 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. 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. Education / Webinars This website allows you to ask a lawyer a legal question in writing for free. Donate to join or renew today. Hope this timeline helps someone! The email and template I was provided: Support@texasrentrelief.com Subject: Your Tenant case id. 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. Also, the application status in the Neighborly system will be updated when the payment has been made. 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. The program has assisted more than 6,000 households in the state thus far. 0000012097 00000 n In February, Texas launched a program to help people who had missed rent payments because of the pandemic. After logging in, click on the application status and check with the details provided. TDHCA announced that they would be accepting new applications in March of 2023 to distribute the remaining funds. The department . Since their October eviction from their Katy apartment, Scott and her four children have lived in hotels and other temporary settings. 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. 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 . Payment is in process. But Musselman expressed sympathy for the landlord, noting that they had gone 11 months without rent from Gates. 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