Many Texans who have faced economic hardships during the pandemic are now eligible for rent assistance through the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs.
The department has $1.3 billion in federal money to give out to eligible renters. Bobby Wilkinson is the department director, and he told Texas Standard the agency has given out $189 million so far to about 55,000 households.
How do I know if I qualify?
You have to be at or below 80% of area median income. Wilkinson says if you don’t know what that is, visit texasrentrelief.com or call 833-989-7368.
You also have to have been financially impacted by the pandemic, either through loss of income, increased expenses or other hardships.
What type of assistance will I receive?
You can get up to 15 months of rent assistance. But you have to reapply every three months to prove you’re still eligible. The program will also help pay for utility bills, and will cover up to 11 months of past-due bills, going back to March of 2020 when the pandemic hit Texas.
How many Texans will likely benefit from the program?
Wilkinson says he expects over 100,000 households to take advantage of the program. And more federal money could be on the way.
