Jonah JacobsHousing has been a mess since the coronavirus pandemic arrived on the scene. As businesses shut down and people lost their livelihoods, they could no longer pay their rent. The national eviction moratorium offered some much-needed breathing room, but once it ended, landlords could finally start evicting tenants for non-payment.
What came next? The Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) Program that provided billions in funding to over 500 local offices around the U.S. The ERA program created a buffer between struggling tenants and landlords who were ready to evict, and in states like Texas, it offered such benefits as:
- Past, current, and future rent payments
- Past, current, and future utility payments
- Three months of additional assistance
What happened to the ERA program not only in Texas, but also in many other states across the country? Its funding quickly dried up, and if you now search for help from the ERA program, you will probably find that your state ended such assistance around December 2022.
Although you can still see if your state has any funds left from what the federal government gave it for the ERA initiative, here are other, more current ways to help you find a rent relief program before your landlord issues worsen.
Where To Find Rent Relief Programs
There are several ways to find rent relief programs, but depending on your location, your mileage may vary. As mentioned, ERA funds have been used up in many states, so you can begin your search there using the link above to see if any funding remains where you live.
If the ERA program is no longer an option, contact your nearest Public Housing Agency by going here. Select your state from the dropdown menu or map, and you will see a list of all the PHAs near you. Give your PHA a call and let them know all the details behind your housing issues. If you are close to eviction, mention that, as you may need emergency rental assistance or help in finding a shelter so your family does not end up on the streets. If you have had issues paying the rent for a while now, ask your PHA counselor about long-term rental assistance.
What type of long-term rental assistance could you get? If your income sits below a certain level, you could qualify for Section 8, a popular rent relief program that pays your landlord directly each month. With a Section 8 voucher, your rent problems could disappear well into the future.
Your local PHA is not the only source for finding a rent relief program. You can Google ârent relief programâ plus your state to see if any local options exist. You could visit the USA.gov affordable housing page to learn more about rental assistance, help with foreclosures, etc. And you could also call 211 and tell them you need to find a rent relief program now.
