To return a payment by ACH, the entity providing repayment should fulfill the bill.com invoice provided alongside notice of recapture. GMT+5:30 02:44 . The amount of assistance will be based on your income and household size. The Emergency Rental Assistance program makes available $25 billion from the U.S. Department of the Treasury to assist households that are unable to pay rent and utilities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes rent that is due now, rent that is overdue . If you are unable to access your account or are having trouble with the online application, please call us toll-free at 833-9TX-RENT (833-989-7368), Monday-Saturday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. We are upgrading the system to ensure tenants can invite landlords and for tenant/landlord pairing. Utility providers are asked to agree to a utility vendor certification. Applicants who have the option to apply online are encouraged to do so since it is typically a faster process. Rents may not exceed $4,600 per month. If an investigation substantiates that fraud, waste or abuse has occurred by an applicant, landlord, tenant, or other party, recapture of funds will be pursued (if applicable), and the case will be referred to the Texas State Auditors Office or U.S. Department of Treasury, Office of the Inspector General. If you are interested in applying, you can do so online or by mail. If youve applied for the program and havent received any help, you can file a complaint with the Office of Injured Employees Counsel (OIEC). Application Submitted- received for review, Approved: Pending Landlord- email/call/phone contact regarding landlord participation, include appropriate measures to ensure that the privacy of the individuals and households is protected, provide that the information, including any personally identifiable information, is collected and used only for the purpose of submitting reports to Treasury. Assistance is available in multiple languages as needed. -They must be current on their rent payments (as of March 1, 2020) The occupants could consist of a single family, two or more families living together, or any other group of related or unrelated people who share living arrangements. If your landlord breaks their agreement with the Texas Rent Relief program, you may file a complaint with the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. If a tenant has accepted payment and has not paid their landlord, the TRR program will ask tenants to pay landlords/utility companies; if they do not do so, the TRR program will pursue recapture if not used for the intended purposes. Data to be collected about each household: Program performance data will be available on the Texas Rent Relief and TDHCA websites. The certification requires that if such duplicative payments occur, the Provider repay the program for the duplicated payment within 30 days. Here are some options for cashing your rent relief check: As of September 2022, Texas Rent Relief has distributed nearly all available funding, though continues to process a low volume of previously submitted applications with limited remaining funds. Payments are expected to be made daily from the system. If so, they will likely have information on their website about how to apply and what the process looks like. All late fees stemming from non-payment of rent, not exceeding allowable amounts in the lease, and no older than March 13, 2020 are allowed. Name, address, social security number, tax identification number or DUNS number, as applicable, for landlord and utility provider. Acceptable forms of ID include but are not limited to a drivers license, state identification card, voter registration card, school registration form, library card, passport, student ID, social security card, military ID, naturalization certificate, lawful permanent residency card, or employment authorization document. If your payment request is visible on your dashboard, you will not lose your place as we gather necessary documentation from you. If a tenant is unwilling to sign the application, assistance cannot be provided. The Landlord Certification is available at TexasRentRelief.com. Any dishonest or fraudulent act, including providing false information to qualify for assistance or submitting fraudulent applications, or persons colluding to appear to be a landlord and tenant and in fact are not in a landlord/tenant relationship; Misappropriation of funds by tenants or landlords using the funds intended for rental or utility assistance for other ineligible purposes; Failure of the Landlord or Tenant to adhere to the terms of the program certifications; Inappropriate use of TRR information or records; and, Leaving a detailed voicemail with the TRR Fraud Hotline: 1-833-613-FRAUD or 1-833-613-7283, Submitting complaints to the State Auditors Office website: (http://sao.fraud.state.tx.us), Submitting complaints to the U.S. Dept. Please report any concerns by: The more information that you provide and the more specific that information is, the more the TRR Fraud Team will be able to investigate the issue. 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. All payments will be issued via ACH to the utility provider. Yes, funds are still available for Texas rent relief. The Texas Legislature has appropriated $1.3 billion in state and federal funding to the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) to provide rent relief to eligible tenants impacted by COVID-19. o If requesting payment via check: The address . Applicants can use either their total 2020 annual income or their most recent 30 days of income. Heres what you need to know about getting rent relief through the CARES Act. Applicants can appeal eligibility decisions. Income for all household members 18 years of age or older will be considered when calculating annual household income. If a households annual income from their 2020 W-2 forms exceeds 80 percent AMI, the household may still meet the income test based on the past 30 days. You must meet all eligibility requirements. If the landlord does not participate in the program, does not provide the required documentation or does not provide the payment information, the payment will be made to the tenant who will in turn pay the landlord. TDHCA is expected to report quarterly. Once payment is received for an applicant, utility providers cannot disconnect the tenant from utility services for any reason that predates the acceptance of the funds or for any reason related to utility charges or fees during the time period covered by the funds. As part of this program, the State of Texas received approximately $1.3 billion to assist landlords and tenants through the Texas Rent Relief Program. Territories, local governments, and Indian tribes. Yes. At this time, the bill authorizing these funds and subsequent guidance from the U.S. Department of the Treasury require the following information be gathered. If your landlord is willing to participate, you can apply directly and your landlord will be contacted for additional information. Yes. All existing applicants will be transferred to the new system. A portion of the Texas Rent Relief Program funds are reserved for this activity. What Happened To Texas Rent Relief Program? All rights reserved. They can reopen the Utility Assistance Requested section of your application, allowing you to revisit that section, indicate you have received a disconnection notice, and upload the notice. A final disposition of the allegation will be determined by the TRR Fraud Team member. After all priority applications have been processed, the Texas Rent Relief Program will proceed with the review and processing of all other applications, including those submitted during the first twenty-one (21) days. For more information, visit the Texas Rent Relief website. You can find a copy of the Tenant Certification (PDF) on the Forms & Resources page. We'll send you an email when your payment has processed and is on its way. Also, keep in mind that some of these stores may not be able to cash government issued checks. Visit. The program requires that the tenant provide their permission, receive current/forward rent on the unit , and indicate that the unit is currently the Tenants primary residence. The student must meet all program eligibility requirements. YES. All non-priority applications will be reviewed and processed on a first-come first-served basis until all funds are committed. The Texas Rent Relief Program provides rental and utility assistance to qualifying applicants to prevent housing instability, potential eviction, utility disconnections, and financial hardships for tenants and landlords as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. If a landlord is assisting a household with their application, the landlord can also make the request for utilities assistance, provided that all required documentation is provided and the tenant is aware that the request is being submitted. Abuse is defined as excessive or improper use of a thing, or to use something in a manner contrary to the natural or legal rules for its use. As part of this process, they will provide the following addresses to applicants to submit documentation by postal mail to P.O. Heres a quick rundown of the most important things to know: The program, which is still being finalized, will provide up to $3,000 in financial assistance to tenants who are struggling to pay their rent because of the pandemic. Number of months of rental payments and number of months of utility or home energy cost payments for which ERA assistance is provided, Household income and number of individuals in the household, and. Examples of reportable scenarios include: Hotline tips are incredibly valuable, and we appreciate any efforts to assist the TRR Program address fraud, waste and abuse. Households where one or more household members were unemployed as of the date of application for assistance, AND one or more household members (this can be the same household member) were unemployed for 90 days prior to the date of application for assistance. To cash your check, simply take it to a teller and they will exchange it for cash. In cases where the applicant has not submitted a past-due rent notice, they would qualify by answering yes to the application question related to needing to move into unsafe/unhealthy conditions if not assisted and be otherwise eligible. Yes. In the meantime, if youre facing eviction in Texas, remember that you have rights under the statewide Eviction Diversion Program even if you havent received rental assistance yet. The application process can be started by either the landlord or the tenant. However, they can use both programs for different months of assistance or for partial assistance not exceeding the full rent amount. For example, if the rent for March 2020 was $800, divide $800 by the number of days in March (31) to determine the daily rate. You can find a copy of the Utility Vendor Certification Form on the Forms & Resources page. Both landlords and tenants will be able to track the status of an application. If a tenant is unwilling to sign the application, assistance cannot be provided. Assistance payments to tenants do not count as taxable income for the tenants. The Texas Rent Relief Program requires that direct payments to tenants are used to pay landlords. During and after account setup, your information will be secure, protected with end-to-end encryption, and not visible to the Texas Rent Relief Program. On or before Jan. 31, 2023, Track1099 will send an email to the address provided on the application with instructions on how to register and receive secure electronic delivery of your Form 1099-MISC. Select the Draws tab. Tenant does not need documentation for rent arrears; the attestation that is built into the application will suffice. Copyright 2023 State of Texas. For any Tenant whose account is terminated during the assistance period, any remaining assistance payments in excess of a customers balance is to be returned. Landlords and tenants are particularly put on notice that 18 U.S.C. If youre a renter in Texas and have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, you may be eligible for rent relief through the Texas Rent Relief Program. The Texas Emergency Rental Assistance Program (TERAP) is only available in the 44 cities and counties participating in the program. Car Payments for a Year; . All applicants, regardless of unemployment status, must be at or below 80 percent AMI. In most cases the court will make the referral. All Rights Reserved. Rental assistance payments will generally be made directly to landlords participating in the program, unless they cannot be reached, their relationship with the tenant application cannot be established in a timely manner, or they do not agree to accept the payment. Yes. Share. If the rent amount includes some utilities or internet access, the full amount of rent can still be requested and paid through the program. 1. If applicable, applicants will confirm they have qualified for benefits by answering a related application question and certifying such information is true and accurate in the certification section of application. Some renters say they were told that their application was under review or pending, but have not been given any further information about when they might receive payment. Utility or home energy costs are eligible, even if you do not apply for rent assistance. All entities submitting as landlords must provide all requested information related to banking information and ownership. This rent relief program is a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and will help those who have lost income due to the pandemic. A household is defined as all persons occupying the same housing unit, regardless of their relationship to each other. The landlord is encouraged to start a tenants request in the system so that it is clearly and correctly associated with the property and landlord. Yes, you may apply for additional assistance as long as the total number of months of rental and utility assistance you have received has not reached the program limit of 15 months. Texas Rent Relief has distributed most of the available funds. As of February 2023, Texas Rent Relief has distributed nearly all available funding. Yes. The funds are provided directly to States, U.S. The assistance you request must be for the unit you currently occupy. But once everything is set up, it can provide some much-needed financial assistance during difficult times. application with a landlord, the number of eligible households that receive assistance from such payments; the acceptance rate of applicants for assistance; the type or types of assistance provided to each eligible household; the average amount of funding provided per eligible household receiving assistance; household income levels served broken down by income brackets; and, the average number of monthly rental or utility payments that were covered by the funding amount that a household received, as applicable. Chrome and Firefox are the recommended browsers. No additional income documentation is required. Know that as the landlord you will be asked to sign a certification available at. The Texas Rent Relief Program covers all 254 Texas counties. We will notify you if we need more information to complete your application. Subscribe our newsletter to stay updated. This email will also include the estimated arrival date. If you have questions about this process, please call us toll-free at 1-833-989-7368. The CARES Act provides economic stimulus payments to qualifying Americans in the form of a direct deposit or paper check. No. Once the complaint is assigned to a TRR Fraud Team member, a staff member may contact you if they have additional questions about your complaint. Apply using the tenant application only. Tenants in such cases should look at other rental assistance programs. Minor children are considered household members. Late fees must be compliant with all applicable laws and regulations. TRRP encourages anyone suspecting fraud, waste, or abuse (e.g. In this example a total of $490.39 is eligible for assistance for March 2020. Click here for instructions. You will see these various status statements during the process: Yes. If assistance is accepted for future months, the landlord must continue the lease for the months assisted or return the prospective amounts to the program. Low-income residents may be eligible to get help paying rent. If you have already submitted your application and need to upload additional tenants, please contact the call center to reopen Section B. Has Your Rent Relief Been Approved? Rent and utility expenses are eligible for assistance starting March 13, 2020 (the date of Governor Abbotts emergency declaration for Texas). 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. Under Description, you will find the breakout of months and amount per month, any late fees, and total months of assistance included in the received payment. Landlords must attest that late fees are lawful pursuant to Texas Property Code 92.019. This may include an overcrowded shared living situation or emergency shelter where risk for COVID transmission may be heightened. The Texas Rent Relief program has been approved and payments are in process. Use the links below to go directly to a service or agency page. Yes. Past due, current and up to 2 months of expected rent costs, Past due, current and up to 2 months of expected utility and home energy expenses, After the initial 3 months of current/future assistance, renters were able to apply for 3 additional months of assistance if funds were still available, If you suspect fraud, waste or abuse please call, View the Texas Rent Relief Program Dashboard (Dashboard in English), https://www.tdhca.state.tx.us/covid19-response.htm. Landlords can still file for evictions on a case-by-case basis, and there are some counties where evictions are still being carried out. Documentation is not required to prove a loss of job or unemployment insurance eligibility if applicants attest to the financial hardship criteria stated by the TRRP. No, receiving program assistance does not require that leases must be extended beyond the month for which the current or future assistance is provided. At the hearing, explain to the judge and your landlord that you are interested in participating in the Texas Eviction Diversion Program and having your case delayed while you pursue the rent assistance. If youre a tenant in California who is having trouble paying your rent, please visit the CA rent relief website to learn more about the program and how to apply. The Texas Rent Relief Program is an opportunity to get up to 12 months of back due rent and even secure up to three months of . When setting up a landlord profile, landlords are asked to agree to this requirement. If a landlord has accepted funds without following the certifications, the TRR program will investigate and in some cases seek to recoup funds. If a tenant had a lease that is now expired and are living in the unit on a month-to-month basis, provision of the lease indicating that tenants default to month-to-month is required, and the landlord must provide an attestation regarding the term and amount of rent. The Emergency Rental Assistance program makes available $25 billion from the U.S. Department of the Treasury to assist households that are unable to pay rent and utilities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. TDHCA cannot give legal guidance on whether a landlord can or cannot evict a tenant with a CDC declaration, nor can TDHCA tell a landlord whether they can evict if the lease is up. Houston, TX 77258. However, there is still a lot of confusion about how long this rent relief will take to process. All individuals under eviction proceedings with a local court should apply through the statewide program at TexasRentRelief.com. Landlords and tenants are particularly put on notice that 18 U.S.C. Houston, TX 77267. Texas leading in rental relief. No, a tenant does not necessarily have to be in arrears. TDHCA does not have program-specific information for all of the local areas offering other rental assistance. If you have filed the application, you can further check its status by straightaway calling their toll-free number at 1-833-989-7368. For additional assistance, contact our Call Center at 1-833-651-3874. No. Forms 1099-MISC will be delivered electronically to the email address provided during the application process. On 11/29 I was sent an approval email and I have been in the "Approved-Payment In Process" status since then. Aug 20, 2021 | COVID19, Latest News, Newsletter. Entry of the court docket number places the applicants case in the TEDP set-aside. TDHCA is administering $1.3 billion in emergency federal relief funds from the U.S. Department of the Treasury to help income-eligible Texans struggling to keep up with rent and utility payments during the pandemic. We will continue to process applications until all payments are made, even if additional funds become available. bank account where the applicant would like to receive payment if approved for assistance . This means that if you are current on your rent and have not been given any notice to vacate by your landlord, you are protected from being forced out of your home. Appeal instructions are available at TexasRentRelief.com. If the last 30 days show an income below 80% AMI, the household meets the requirement for income eligibility. Utility assistance payments are made directly to participating utility providers by ACH deposit. Do not try to apply as a landlord. Yes. To get help with your application, the program recommends applicants call 1-833-989-7368. 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