Houston Doing ‘Very Little’ To Help Renters During Pandemic, Advocates Say

Other Texas cities are giving renters 60-day grace periods and setting aside millions of dollars in rent relief funding.

By Jen RiceMay 1, 2020 1:19 pm, , , , ,

From Houston Public Media:

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner on Thursday announced initial steps to create a rental assistance fund for struggling Houstonians. The mayor didn’t share details about the program, but said funding will likely be distributed through a nonprofit organization.

“It will be before city council members this coming Wednesday,” Turner said. “It’s not going to meet the needs of everyone, but it will help thousands.”

But with rent due for more than half of the Houston population, some fair housing advocates say the mayor should have acted sooner.  

“This rental assistance fund has taken far too long to develop,” said Zoe Middleton, Southeast Texas co-director with Texas Housers. “Houston is the last major city in Texas to announce such a fund.”

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