The state will soon begin offering a hand to Texas residents having a hard time paying the rent because of financial strain due to the pandemic.
Gov. Greg Abbott announced Tuesday that the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs has launched the Texas Rent Relief Program, the first statewide rent and utility assistance program for qualifying households. The program is being paid for with more than $1 billion from the $900 billion COVID-19 relief bill signed into law in December.
TDHCA will being accepting applications for assistance on Feb. 15. For complete details about eligibility, required documents and applying for help, visit TexasRentRelief.com.
“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,” Abbott said in a statement. “I urge qualifying households to apply for this program once applications open on Feb. 15.”
He said the state would keep providing resources and support for residents in need during the pandemic. Texas Speaker of the House Dade Phelan said the program can provide short-term aid to families in need trying to “emerge from the financial aftershocks of the pandemic.”
“This program is a key component of our state’s pandemic recovery effort and will be essential to the rebound of our economy, workforce and education system, he said. “I am thrilled that qualifying Texas families have an avenue for temporary relief on essential items like rent and utility payments when it truly counts the most.”
Qualifying households must be at or below 80 percent of area median income and meet other criteria. In keeping with federal guidelines, TDHCA will prioritize applications from households at or below 50 percent of area median income level, and households in which at least one member has been unemployed for at least 90 days. TDHCA encourages landlords to apply on behalf of tenants, who must co-sign the application.
Brownsville Mayor Trey Mendez said the assistance is welcome and ideally will help some residents get “back on track,” though he would like to see the program run differently.
“It looks like individuals can apply,” he said. “I was kind of hoping it would be administered by counties or cities. That would be better in my opinion. It’s going to be difficult to have individuals applying on their own.
“Overall it’s a great thing. It’s much needed. We’ve seen people lose their jobs. We’ve seen people get behind on rent and not have enough money for basic expenses, so this definitely a welcome relief. I’m sure some landlords are going to be happy about it and definitely tenants are going to be happy about it.”
Starting Feb. 15, applications can be submitted to the Texas Rent Relief Program by calling (833) 989-7368 or visiting TexasRentRelief.com. The call center hours will be 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
