McAllen is now offering rental assistance to residents who have fallen behind on their monthly rent payments due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This new rental assistance program is funded through a $439,775 grant the city received from the Texas Department of Housing & Community Affairs, according to a news release issued by the city Monday.
“We are grateful to the State of Texas for providing this award so that we may help residents in our community who have been impacted in one way or another by COVID-19 and it has affected their ability to pay their rent,” Mayor Jim Darling stated in the release. “We hope that this rental assistance program will help our McAllen residents get back on track as we continue to navigate through the hardships caused by the pandemic.”
The program is meant to assist individuals who have fallen behind on their rent and already received an eviction notice. To qualify, their household income must be 80% below the area median income and not currently receiving COVD-related rental assistance from another agency. Rental assistance also cannot exceed $779 per month.
Assistance is also available to landlords seeking relief from lost rent due to the pandemic.
To apply, residents must fill out an online form and provide the required documentation:
- Personal identification or other method of ID, such as a utility bill, voter registration form or school registration form;
- Copy of the executed or signed lease or if no written lease, required certification proving tenancy;
- Income: evidence of eligibility under other qualified program or income evidence for past 30 days;
- Tenant application and certification forms completed. As part of the certification, applicants will be required to prove their tenancy, the COVID-19 impact they’ve experienced, and that they are not receiving duplication of benefits.
- Proof of tenancy: If no valid and effectual written lease, resident must certify lease term, rent amount and ability to provide proof of tenancy, such as through a utility bill or canceled check or money order.
- No duplication of benefits: Residents must not have received rental assistance for the same months of rent and will not seek such assistance in the future for the covered months and have not received rental assistance funded with CARES funds that, together with this assistance, will exceed six months in total;
- COVID-19 impact: The household has been economically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, including lost job, reduced hours, medical expenses or other such instances.
The application can be found at www.mcallen.net/rentalassistance.
