UPDATE: The promising $ 1 billion Texas Lease Reduction program made solely three funds

Update April 9, 2021

Despite over 170,000 Texans applying for rental support, only 612 have been paid out. Contractor, Horne LLP, won a $ 42.5 million contract to administer the program and spread the $ 1 billion fund. However, in the six weeks since the program started, only a small portion of it has been distributed.

In a hearing earlier this week, lawmakers questioned THDCA Executive Director Bobby Wilkinson, who said most of the problems were related to software. Legislators asked if the state knew whether those who had received eviction notices would be prioritized, but TDHCA said it was not.

Although this is a promising and well-funded project, the Texan rent relief program has not been adequate since it went into operation a month ago. While their website has been online and open for applications since Feb.15, only 134 have received payments so far.

“We had some major system problems, and it really took us about 14 days to get fully into our new system,” said Brooke Boston, director of the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs.

“This is a $ 1 billion rental assistance program that the state of Texas is building from the ground up. While the funding will be extremely helpful for many thousands of Texans, there were no program guidelines or delivery mechanisms, ”Kristina Tirloni, spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, wrote in an email.

Problems have been addressed on the program’s website since day one, with landlords and tenants complaining about the functionality of the program. On the website, applicants could not enter their phone numbers and then no one was available to answer the phone number listed on the website, preventing users from checking their application status.

The TDHC said it was always a software problem, so they ended up having to completely change the system their provider offered. Currently, 75% of the office’s staff is dedicated solely to helping applicants fill out their forms, thereby speeding up the process. Still, only 134 people were admitted to receive aid from nearly 170,000.

“It’s very stressful,” said a Houston resident, who applied for several months’ rent. “It is very confusing. It’s supposed to help people, but we don’t hear anything. “

Bobby Wilkinson, executive director of the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, said he was sorry and things were about to change: “That will change quickly. I’m going to hit them with dollars pretty quickly, and I want to hit them out the door by percentage within a month. “

According to Wilkinson, people don’t have to wait long after applying. Once you’ve submitted all of the documents, the money should arrive in a couple of weeks.