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Legislative Update
By STEPHANIE GRAVES, HAA Legislative Chair, with BRADLEY PEPPER, Vice President of Government Affairs
RENTAL ASSISTANCE RECAPTURE And an update on the status of rental assistance programs.
AS MANY OF you have experienced already, the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs’ (TDHCA) Texas Rent Relief Program and Baker Ripley have begun issuing recapture letters for rent certain relief payments made over the last year. We have discussed this issue at several HAA meetings over the last two months, including both the legislative committee and HAA Political Action Committee meetings. The HAA government affairs staff have been working with the Texas Apartment Association and the National Apartment Association to address confusion around the rental assistance recapture requirements from both local and state agencies. Apartment owners, including many HAA members, are receiving these recapture letters for what appears to be duplicate rental assistance payments. This is a complicated issue, as it involves multiple state and local agencies, as well as the U.S. Department of Treasury, as these agencies must follow Treasury guidelines. Again, all three organizations (HAA, TAA and NAA) are working together and with the respective agencies and departments to arrive at a resolution. If you have questions or need more information about the status of this issue, please contact Vice President of Government Affairs Bradley Pepper at bpepper@haaonline.org. Most Rental Assistance Funding has Ended While some of the counties in HAA’s service area have some rental assistance dollars remaining, a majority, including the HoustonHarris County Emergency Rental Assistance Program and state of Texas programs, are no longer accepting new applications for review. In the case of the Houston-Harris County Emergency Rental Assistance Program, they are only now accepting applications for renters with active eviction cases (must have www.haaonline.org
an active case or cause number). Existing appliRenters are eligible only if they reside within Harris cations cannot be upCounty or the Houston city limits and an apartment owner dated. A new application or manager is pursuing eviction solely due to outstanding must be submitted. rent payments. Renters are not eligible if they have already Renters are eligible received rental assistance for the same months of past-due only if they reside within rent that are part of their eviction case. Harris County or the Houston city limits and an apartment owner or manbe complete by the time this article is pubager is pursuing eviction solely due to outlished, our work for this cycle is not over. The standing rent payments. Renters are not HAAPAC will continue to meet and screen caneligible if they have already received rental asdidates to support for both the primary runoff sistance for the same months of past-due rent election in May, as well as the general election that are part of their eviction case. in November. As with the previous requirements, an apartIf you have not joined the HAAPAC, this is the ment owner must agree to participate and follow year to add your voice to ours and help us the guidelines of the Houston-Harris County spread our message and our story. Few organiEmergency Rental Assistance Program for a resizations engage in the justice of the peace races dent to be eligible for assistance monies. that are so critical to our industry, and your supThe City of Houston and Harris County have port can mean the difference between a judge provided nearly $280 million in rental assiswho follows the law and one who does not. tance to almost 70,000 households impacted The HAAPAC allows us to pool our resources by COVID-19 since the program launched in and support the most qualified, pro-industry February 2021. candidates for local and state office. The Texas Rent Relief Program, which started in March of 2020, has helped over Visit www.haaonline.org/HAAPAC for more 300,000 Texans and provided over $1 billion in information. For as little as $100, you can be a emergency funds to help Texas renters pay part of this important effort to keep our indusrent and utility bills (including past due rent try strong. and utilities). If you have a regulatory problem or question, call the HAA main line at 713-595-0300 Let Your Voice Be Heard! and ask for Government Affairs. If a particuSupport HAAPAC Today lar code requirement or issue concerns This election cycle will see us elect every you, let us know by emailing Bradley at state elected official, from governor to state bpepper@haaonline.org. representative, as well as most of our county elected officials, from county judge to justice of the peace. It is critical that we continue to elect candidates that are pro-industry and who follow the law. While the primary elections on March 1 will March 2022
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