Update on Texas’s Rent Relief Program; Funds Available with More to Come

This is an update to our previous post about Texas’ Rent Relief Program.

TDHCA announced on Saturday, March 13, the Texas Rent Relief Program has launched a new application system.

The new system hopes to make it easier to fill out and submit an application, add missing documentation, and track the status of payment requests.

TDHCA is recommending, even if you already created a profile or application in the old system, that for faster review of your existing application, please take the following steps:

• Register in the new system using the email provided for the previous system.
• Review and complete an application by adding any missing information or documentation.
• Review and complete the application checklist of all required documents.
• Be sure to request 3 months of current and future rent at this time if you have not already done so.

If you created a profile or applied in the old system, and do not wish to follow the recommendations bulleted above, TDHCA is reporting that those applications are being transferred into the new system. Once that is complete, applications can be submitted for review.

For more, TexasRentRelief.com is still the programs main webpage to access the application.

Original application dates will stay the same. Completed applications are being reviewed in the order received.

Funds are still available, and TDHCA encourages eligible households to apply. As of March 16th there was still $920 million in funds avialble, and the program is set to expire in Septermebt of 2021.

Recall, that the original funding level was for $1.3 billion, so while application requests are coming in, there is still ample funding available with more, most likely on the way.

Also, over the weekend, President Biden signed into law the “American Rescue Plan,” which of the total $1.9 trillion allocated in the bill, an addition $21.5 billion was allocated nationally for rental assistance.  The previous relief bill brought $25 billion, of which TDHCA received the $1.3 billion to administer. 

While it might be a bit premature, its stands to reason that Texas, through TDHCA, could receive at least an addition $1 billion in rental assistance.

If you have questions or need assistance with your application for the Texas Rent Relief Program, contact TDHCA toll-free at 833-9TX-RENT (833-989-7368) Monday-Saturday, 8 a.m. - 6 p.m., or email TDHCA at info@texasrentrelief.com.