Legislative Update – Working on the problems with rental assistance.

RENTAL ASSISTANCE RECAPTURE

And an update on the status of rental assistance programs.

Legislative Update By STEPHANIE GRAVES, HAA Legislative Chair, with BRADLEY PEPPER, Vice President of Government Affairs

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 Houston-Harris 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 an active case or cause number). Existing applications cannot be updated. A new application must be submitted.

Renters are eligible only if they reside within Harris County or the Houston city limits and an apartment owner or manager is pursuing eviction solely due to outstanding rent payments. Renters are not eligible if they have already received rental assistance for the same months of past-due rent that are part of their eviction case.

As with the previous requirements, an apartment owner must agree to participate and follow the guidelines of the Houston-Harris County Emergency Rental Assistance Program for a resident to be eligible for assistance monies.

The City of Houston and Harris County have provided nearly $280 million in rental assistance to almost 70,000 households impacted by COVID-19 since the program launched in February 2021.

The Texas Rent Relief Program, which started in March of 2020, has helped over 300,000 Texans and provided over $1 billion in emergency funds to help Texas renters pay rent and utility bills (including past due rent and utilities). Renters are eligible only if they reside within Harris County or the Houston city limits and an apartment owner or manager is pursuing eviction solely due to outstanding rent payments. Renters are not eligible if they have already received rental assistance for the same months of past-due rent that are part of their eviction case.

Let Your Voice Be Heard! Support HAAPAC Today

This election cycle will see us elect every state elected official, from governor to state 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 be complete by the time this article is published, our work for this cycle is not over. The HAAPAC will continue to meet and screen candidates to support for both the primary runoff election in May, as well as the general election in November.

If you have not joined the HAAPAC, this is the year to add your voice to ours and help us spread our message and our story. Few organizations engage in the justice of the peace races that are so critical to our industry, and your support can mean the difference between a judge who follows the law and one who does not.

The HAAPAC allows us to pool our resources and support the most qualified, pro-industry candidates for local and state office.

Visit www.haaonline.org/HAAPAC for more information. For as little as $100, you can be a part of this important effort to keep our industry strong.

If you have a regulatory problem or question, call the HAA main line at 713-595-0300 and ask for Government Affairs. If a particular code requirement or issue concerns you, let us know by emailing Bradley at bpepper@haaonline.org.