The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs has announced that they intend to make available $1.3 billion to eligible residents as a part of a federal stimulus package. Starting on Feb. 15, the State of Texas will start accepting applications for residents who are in danger of eviction or have been evicted.
Funds are coming from a the federal relief package Congress passed in December, which included $25 billion for rental assistance, with $1.9 billion for the state of Texas and its largest cities and counties.
You can qualify if your household has an income at or below 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI), as defined by TDHCA.
- AND One or more of the tenant household members have:
- Qualified for unemployment benefits; OR
- Attest in writing that due to or during the pandemic, they:
- Experienced a reduction in household income,
- Incurred significant costs, or
- Experienced financial hardship
- AND Households must also demonstrate they:
- Are at risk of homelessness or housing instability by providing an eviction notice or past-due utility or rent notice; OR
- Live in unsafe or unhealthy housing conditions
The unit you are renting must be your primary residence and be located within the State of Texas.
The Texas Rent Relief Program can help renters with the following costs starting as far back as March 13, 2020 (this means you could potentially request assistance for up to 11 months of past due bills):
- Past due, current and up to 3 months of expected rent costs
- Past due, current or up to 3 months of expected utility and home energy expenses
- After the initial 3 months of forward assistance, you can apply for 3 additional months of assistance if funds are still available
To learn more about the program, visit TexasRentRelief.com (Spanish version is here: https://texasrentrelief.com/es). You can also call 1-833-9TX-RENT (1-833-989-7368) for help as well. Prioritization for certain applicants will be accepted before March 8, so visit the website or call the hotline to see if you qualify.
As the state continues to roll out relief and protections for low-income households, we will call for stronger and more equitable measure, ensure that these families both remain housed and will be able to live without the worry of unpaid rent or late fees.
