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Legislative Update
By STEPHANIE GRAVES, HAA Legislative Chair, with BRADLEY PEPPER, Vice President of Government Affairs
RENT RELIEF RECAPTURE An update on Harris County/City of Houston Rent Relief Recapture.
AS MANY HAA members know, the TDHCA’s Texas Rent Relief (TRR) Program and the Houston/Harris County Emergency Rental Assistance Program have issued recapture requests requiring owners to pay back certain relief payments received over the last year. The HAA Government Affairs team has been working to address confusion around the rental assistance recapture requirements from both local and state agencies. This is a complicated issue and involves multiple state and local agencies, as well as the U.S. Treasury, as these agencies must follow Treasury guidelines. While HAA has been working on this issue with the various program administrators, we have also met with elected officials at the local, state and federal levels to educate them on the issues that recapture is causing and the negative effects on their constituents. Additionally, we have been working with TAA to communicate these issues to TDHCA, as well as with NAA to inform the Treasury Department. In a positive development for those properties in Houston and Harris County, we were told recently by a representative of the Houston/Harris County program that recapture efforts are currently paused for any state/local duplicate payments for which the Houston/ Harris County program was the second payer of the duplicate funds. The Houston/Harris County program is developing a process through which a multifamily resident can update their application to allow for allocation of payments to additional months, with an associated reduction in recapture requirements. It has been reported to us that the new process is scheduled to be launched toward the end of May. Applicants with existing duplication will be prioritized. They have no current plans to attempt to return recouped funds to apartment owners or residents. While this is a good sign, please note that
this will only affect reThe HAA Government Affairs team has been working to capture requests from address confusion around the rental assistance recapture the Houston/Harris requirements from both local and state agencies. This is a County program. This “fix” does not currently complicated issue and involves multiple state and local apply to recapture reagencies, as well as the U.S. Treasury, as these agencies quests from TRR or any must follow Treasury guidelines. other local programs. We are also working with the Houston/Harris justice of the peace. It is critical that we conCounty program to provide a webinar to help tinue to elect candidates that are pro-industry educate HAA members on the current and fuand follow the law. ture status of rent relief funds moving forward, If you have not joined the HAA PAC, this is the so stay tuned. For more information or quesyear to add your voice to ours and help us tions regarding the Houston-Harris County spread our message and our story. Few organiEmergency Rental Assistance Program please zations engage in the justice of the peace races call their hotline at 713-874-6609. that are so critical to our industry, and your supThere are some counties in our region port can mean the difference between a judge that still have rent relief funds available and who follows the law and one who does not. are processing applications. For more The HAA PAC allows us to pool our reinformation, please visit our websitea at sources and support the most qualified, prowww.haaonline.org. industry candidates for local and state office. We have screened and endorsed candidates Join HAA PAC Today In my role as Legislative Chair for 2022, I for the Primary Elections already this year and have made it my goal to increase our HAA PAC will continue to do so as we approach the membership participation beyond what we November General Election. This gives PAC have seen in recent years. The number was set members an opportunity to meet and hear at 250 members. We are halfway through the directly from these candidates on how they year and have already reached 220. We had 144 will deal with issues related to the industry. total for 2021. So, we are doing great so far. Visit www.haaonline.org/HAAPAC for more That said, we need more participation. information. For as little as $100, you can be a We know that politics is not everyone’s part of this important effort to keep our industhing. We know that sometimes it can be contry strong. fusing, intimidating and quite frankly, ugly. If you have a regulatory problem or However you feel about politics personally, question, call the HAA main line at just know that the decisions made by our 713-595-0300 and ask for Government elected officials directly impacts our industry Affairs. If a particular code requirement or and the jobs we do every day. issue concerns you, let us know by emailThis is an important election year. We will ing Bradley at bpepper@haaonline.org. elect every state elected official, from governor to state representative, as well as most of our county elected officials, from county judge to
Your Vote Matters www.haaonline.org
www.haaonline.org/HAAPAC June 2022
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