Rental Assistance Programs
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Dear Friends,
After a long year of economic and health crises due to COVID-19, our community is now working to recover from a weeklong winter storm that left millions throughout our county and state without power and water. Although many have running water and power again, some still do not. And those who do are now recovering.
Our
community was already experiencing a housing crisis, and this storm worsened the need for safe dwellings, especially during a global pandemic. Following this winter storm, some families have been forced to leave their homes due to burst pipes and other weather-related damages.
Housing is health. We cannot have safe, healthy, stable, or economically thriving communities when people cannot afford to stay in their homes, especially during the middle of an ongoing pandemic. We will continue working to find solutions to combat COVID-19 while we also do everything within our power to help people meet their basic needs.
Harris County Precinct One wants you to know that you are not alone — there are resources available to help you stay housed.
If you:
- Have a Household income at or below 80% of Area Median Income* (see chart below)
- Are a tenant in Harris County experiencing housing instability or at risk of homelessness; have past due rent or past due utility bills; or have received an eviction notice AND
- Have been financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic
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You may qualify for one or more of the rental assistance programs listed below. If you are eligible, we encourage you to apply to all the programs.
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Applications for the $159M Houston-Harris County Rental Assistance Program opened to tenants today.
Overview of program
- Help for past-due rent dating back to April 2020, and up to two months of future rent - for a maximum of 12 months total.
- Utility assistance for past-due electricity, gas or water bills.
- Rent assistance will be paid to participating landlords enrolled in the program.
- If a landlord is not enrolled, direct assistance may be available.
- Assistance is not first-come, first served, but will be distributed randomly.
- Everyone in need is encouraged to apply.
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Applications for the Texas Rent Relief program opened on February 15.
Overview of program
- Emergency funds are available to help Texas renters pay rent and utility bills (including past due rent and utilities).
- Help cover rent as far back as March 13, 2020 - up to 11 months of past due bills.
- Past due, current and up to 3 months of expected rent costs.
- Past due, current or up to 3 months of expected utility and home energy expenses.
- After the initial 3 months of forward assistance, you can apply for 3 additional months of assistance if funds are still available.
Find complete program details at TexasRentRelief.com or by calling 1-833-9TX-RENT
(1-833-989-7368)
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Overview of program
- Assistance to renters who are at risk of eviction.
- Payment made directly to property owners or management companies.
- Eligible applicants receive at least one month of rental payments going forward and up to five months of arrears, for up to a total of six months.
Find complete information about the program here or by calling 832-927-4955Precinct One has combined information about all three of the above rental assistance programs into one flyer in both English and Spanish. Download it here.
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Please mark your calendar for our rescheduled State of the Precinct on March 18.
During this virtual event, we will update our residents about our policy priorities, ongoing projects and major focuses for this year. We will also discuss resources available following the winter storm.
We hope to see you there.
Sincerely,
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Harris County Precinct One
Downtown Office
1001 Preston, 9th Floor
713-274-1000
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