*L#H0o=M6S:{D A^o l'a7*, Some Texas landlords took rent relief money but evicted tenants anyway 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. Housing experts say they expect expiration of the eviction rules will make the already spotty protections of the eviction moratorium even more unevenly applied. *Must make an appointment. 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. 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. 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. 0000048055 00000 n He oversees the state's executive branch, including the housing and community affairs department. 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 . 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. Texas closed the rent relief program to new applicants in November, citing overwhelming demand for rental assistance dollars. QAP Alerts (MEMBERS ONLY) Altogether, about $2 billion of the federal rental and utility assistance funds approved by Congress last year were earmarked for Texas. Scotts former landlord Blazer Real Estate Services, a Houston property management company did not respond to calls and emails requesting comment. That makes removing barriers to helping families catch up on the rent even more vital, Rosales said. We strive to always do better, Tirloni said in an email. Greg Abbott for comment on the report. 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. Most states have lifted their . V o l . You can login to the site as a landlord or as a tenant. Requests for Proposals/Quotes (MEMBERS ONLY). 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). For others, health issues made going to work unsafe while the pandemic raged out of control. Show us with your support. Media Availability Planned For Texas Tech's 8th Annual Ambassadors' Forum. The email and template I was provided: Support@texasrentrelief.com Subject: Your Tenant case id. Are you a Texas resident looking for affordable housing? In February, Texas launched a program to help people who had missed rent payments because of the pandemic. Mailbag: Evermore. But those are the exact grounds that RDRH Holdings cited when it sued to evict Gates, Stamm said. Lee Reznicek, a property manager who oversees Gates former home for Austin-based Hill Country Property Management, declined to comment when reached by email. Evictions During the COVID-19 Pandemic | Texas Law Help %PDF-1.7 Since their October eviction from their Katy apartment, Scott and her four children have lived in hotels and other temporary settings. They can visit https://texaslawhelp.org/eviction-referral or call 855-270-7655 for help understanding their options and to seek free or low-cost legal assistance. Do you value our journalism? KPRC 2 Investigates Texas Rent Relief program: Single mother served This time period has been shortened based on direction from the Department of Treasury. Both the federal and state government added enforcement provisions when they created the rent relief programs. Governor Abbott, TDHCA Announce Statewide COVID-19 Rental Relief That happens even when tenants win their eviction cases in court. Cities and counties that operate local rental assistance programs have $368 million. You can find the names and phone numbers of these organizations below. . Release of information or other details will be required under some circumstances. Late fees over 12% of your monthly rent (10% for properties with more than four units) are unreasonable. We've provided over $2B in emergency funds to help Texas renters pay rent and utility bills (including past due rent and utilities). Payment cannot be released until 90 days after the initial disbursement date; however, be advised that review and approval timelines will often exceed 90 days from the last disbursement. 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. 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. They may also request assistance with any arrears that have not already been covered by previous TRR assistance or another provider, so long as the total months of assistance for each type of assistance (for example, rent, gas, water, etc.) Information in this guide is subject to change at any time. Eligible households can apply online or over the phone for first-time or additional program assistance. Texas Rent Relief Program Re-Opens Applications for Limited Time, March This guide is updated to reflect information pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic. 4 0 obj <> endobj xref Other organizations That help paying rent in Houston. On Jan. 27, Williamson County constables came to execute the eviction. Food + Drink 4 45 The Texas Rent Relief Program will shut down its application portal at 5 p.m. on Friday. The property manager quickly confirmed that they had and Jasso tossed the eviction. The first payment never came because they had a Covid outbreak. Texas Tech To Host Art Gallery. Two months later, Scott received an email acknowledging her complaint but said she hasnt heard back since. Texas' rental assistance program will soon run out of money Then she gave up her job at the Katy hospital to care once more for her youngest daughter. The Texas Rent Relief Program provides emergency funds available to help Texas renters pay rent and utility bills (including past due rent and utilities). 2401 E 6th Street, Ste 3037, PMB 153, Austin, TX 78702. Members in the News (MEMBERS ONLY) As of Feb. 17, Gates former landlord hadnt done so, Stamm said. Thieves had walked off with their electronics. TDHCA announced that they would be accepting new applications in March of 2023 to distribute the remaining funds. Avenue 360 (formerly Bearing Omega and Houston Area Community Services) Web. Some areas still ban evictions outright. Texas has nearly $692 million available through its statewide rent relief program. About the Texas Rent Relief Program Both landlords and tenants were able to use this website to create an account and submit their application. But receiving rent relief dollars wasnt guaranteed, so some landlords filed for eviction in case the money didnt come through and as a last resort after months of going without rent, Mintz said. The Texas Rent Relief Program will be run by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. According to the National Housing Law Project, 86% of the 119 lawyers across the country who responded to a survey gauging how the end of a federal moratorium on evictions was affecting tenants said they had seen cases where landlords either declined to apply for assistance from rent relief programs or took the money and proceeded to kick out their tenants. Texas Rent Relief assistance payments to landlords and utility providers are considered taxable income. As the tenant was evicted from the unit associated with this application, pursuant to program policies, rental arrears are only approved for the time period the tenant was in the unit, the email reads. Texas Homeowner Assistance Official Website cy,a`G|~OOsQ>gR-"F HT$uUD$>@he^? Utilities, Clothing for Children, Employment assistance services. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribunes journalism. When tickets go on sale in May, Tribune members will save big. from 8 AM - 9 PM ET. TRR is processing applications . In order to collect this late fee, the landlord must have included notice of it in a written lease. Info about the decision to end the program and eviction diversion is included as well. 0000015708 00000 n Wilkinson said many people who tried to apply may need to go back and take extra steps to complete the application. 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. Falsification of documents or any material falsehoods or omissions in an Application to this program, including knowingly seeking duplicative benefits, is subject to state and federal criminal penalties. Lifestyle Subscribe to recieve Local Profile email updates every Monday and Thursday. 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. 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. A portion of the funds have been set-aside specifically for households whose landlords have already sued for eviction in their local court. KERA also reached out to Gov. Texas has only made 3 rent relief payments 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. The landlord submits any information or documentation to receive payment as part of a rent relief program. Our vision is to inspire and engage our members and stakeholders to end the affordable housing crisis in Texas. 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. Researchers have offered estimates of past-due rent in the U.S. ranging from $8.4 billion to $52.6 billion. 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. 2023 Local Profile is a registered trademark of Community Profile LLC. 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. These funds may be disbursed to either tenants or landlords. About the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. We're thankful for the opportunity to re-open Texas Rent Relief for two weeks to help more Texas tenants and landlords. "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. Johnsons lawyer recorded the call. Her former landlord had taken the rent relief funds after they evicted her. 0000058095 00000 n All past-due rent and utilities (back to March 13, 2020) will be paid first. If you suspect fraud, waste or abuse please call (833) 61-FRAUD or (833) 613-7283. I think any landlord that accepted money or got money directly for rent absolutely should not have evicted anyone, Garcia said. The report was released less than a week after the Supreme Court of Texas let lapse a set of rules for how courts in the state enforce a federal eviction ban, which the Biden administration extended through into the summer. Effectiveness of. The statewide program doled out more than $1.2 billion to 212,344 households. News from Members (MEMBERS ONLY) By the end of March, only 250 people had actually got help paying for rent out of 72,000 completed applications. Around the time of the eviction, Scott and her husband separated. 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. As of Wednesday, the program has assisted more than 300,000 households. <> When Dallas County Justice of the Peace Juan Jasso heard about the check and phone call, he asked the property manager whether they had received the check, Johnson said. Eligibility: For anyone who currently rents in the United States and resides in any of the properties Esusu works with. 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. The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs is committed to expanding fair housing choice and opportunities for Texans through the administration and funding of affordable housing and homeownership opportunities, weatherization, and community-based services with the help of for-profits, nonprofits, and local governments. If you owe unpaid rent or utilities, that amount will be paid in one lump sum within 10 business days of your final approval. Additional Funding for Texas Rent Relief The rent relief checks cleared RDRHs bank account on Feb. 4 less than two weeks after Gates was evicted. This page has answers to questions about the Texas Rent Relief Program for both landlords and tenants. If you or someone you know still needs help with the rent relief process or pending eviction, you can apply for free legal help at https://www.lonestarlegal.org or by calling 1-800-733-8394. Executive director Bobby Wilkinson said the early days of the program delivered a bad customer experience for people, but that the issues are being fixed. Some households will still qualify for the program while others will not. According to the report, of the 176,000 people who have begun applications, just over 1,000 have had their applications approved. 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. Approvals have. Hope this timeline helps someone! 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. Since February the state of Texas has paid landlords more than one billion dollars for tenants who can't afford to pay rent. Landlord Application Information. Member Editorials (MEMBERS ONLY) The state of Texas has more than one billion dollars to give out to people who need help paying their bills. A free legal hotline available to South Texas residents. Let the judge know if any of these things have happened. trailer <]/Prev 155979>> startxref 0 %%EOF 48 0 obj <>stream And a large and growing percentage of that is over a year old at this point.. For Landlords who applied for unpaid or future rent on behalf of tenants. 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. And more is on the. You know, we just had the problems from [the pandemic] last year, which everybody did.. 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. 5309 Decker Dr. 281.424.5752. The public is also invited to share such concerns. TDHCA operates the state hotline where complaints originate. During the hearing, lawmakers pressed Wilkinson on a number of issues. 0000003018 00000 n Reporting: On February 15, 2023 Treasury released ERA1 & ERA2 Quarterly Demographic Data for Q1 2021 through Q3 2022; January 2023.
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