The Texas Rent Relief Program reports that they are able to serve 10,400 persons in need despite the unprecedented demand that caused them to deplete the $96 million that had been put aside to assist Texas renters. Within the first 28 hours after the application portal was made available, the program was flooded with more than 100,000 submissions.
Because of the high demand, the application period for the program ended just 52 hours after it had begun, which was 12 days sooner than originally scheduled.
“With an extraordinary number of applications submitted and very limited funding available, TRR is not able to assist everyone,” Kristina Tirloni with the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs said.
Texans Cant Receive Assistance From The Program
Since the middle of March, thousands of Texans have been told they cannot receive assistance from the program. Rejection is disheartening and difficult to deal with for people like Vanessa Jenkins.
“It’s very disappointing to feel like you’re being put on a back burner,” she said. “It’s really tough, you know, almost 50 percent of my income goes for rent. And that’s really hard… I have been homeless. It is very, very important for me to keep a roof over my head.”
Texans who are currently being evicted and who can produce a docket number for an eviction hearing are given priority under the program. The TRR is now going through more than 6,000 applications of this kind.
Another candidate by the name of Molly stated that ever since she submitted her application on March 14, she has been unable to obtain any helpful updates from the program. She stated that the support would be a “lifeline” for Texans who have been unemployed for an extended period of time, similar to how she has been.
“I’m getting ready to go back to work from having knee surgery and burying my father who had COVID. I’m just, at this point, hoping that I’m one of those who is helped,” she said. “It would really be a tremendous blessing.”
According to the TRR, they have approximately $70 million in funds left, and the average amount of aid is $6,732 per applicant.
TRR has stated that it should be able to issue payments within 14 business days. However, this will only be the case if all of the necessary documentation and eligibility requirements have been met.
“Every application is unique, and there are many factors that affect the review timeline, including the landlord’s willingness to participate, completion of the landlord’s application profile, and timeliness in which the landlord and tenant submit all required documentation,” Tirloni said. “Most applications we receive require follow-up communication because the applicant did not include all of the necessary documentation. We strongly urge applicants to check for and respond to text messages, emails and phone calls from TRR staff so we can more quickly process their application.”
Those who are unable to receive assistance through the Texas Rent Relief program are directed to other available services by the program. If you are in danger of losing your home, Texas Law Help can provide you with low-cost or no-cost legal representation. It would be best if you visited these links to such recent news Lt. Gov. Claims Texas Senate To Authorize Casinos And Sports Betting.
The Texas Department of Housing and Community Assistance has a distinct program to aid with utility assistance, including helping with water and wastewater bills and utility payments in general. For further information, please visit Texas Utility Assistance.
Alliance Party in Westminster tweeted that Even successful projects are facing a funding gap. You can see below:
ESF projects are facing a cliff-edge at the end of March. The Shared Prosperity Fund is too little, too late.
Even successful projects are facing a funding gap. Dept for Levelling Up must determine and implement funding decisions asap 👇 pic.twitter.com/x7cJh2WQzF
— Alliance Party in Westminster (@AlliancePartyUK) February 15, 2023
Help for Texans is a webpage hosted by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA), which provides information on local resources for affordable housing, long-term rent assistance, and legal aid.
Molly has stated that she will continue to have hope even though she does not yet know whether or not she will receive the assistance she requires. Nevertheless, she is worried about the tens of thousands of other Texans who rent their homes month to month. We got information about Texas Senate Allocates Billions For Water Requirements.
“It’s a really bad situation. It’s a domino effect,” she said. “Because you know, once you lose a place, and there can be potentially an eviction on your record, it makes it harder to get a place in the future. So I feel that there are some people who may never be able to recover from not getting the help.”
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