HAYS COUNTY, Texas — For Hays County residents who are still struggling to make rent and pay their utilities, the county has approved a rental assistance program. Residents can apply for the county’s COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERA) starting next week.
Applications open Monday, July 12, for the program. It will provide rental, utility and late fee assistance to residents who meet the program’s criteria or have faced difficulty paying their bills during the COVID-19 pandemic.
To qualify, residents must live in Hays County, make less than 80% of the area median income and qualify for unemployment benefits or experienced financial hardship during the pandemic.
Applicants must also demonstrate that they are at risk of experiencing homelessness or live in an unsafe or unhealthy environment by showing a past due utility or rent notice or eviction notice.
The county will first prioritize applicants whose income is below 50% of the area median or who have at least one person in their household that has been unemployed for more than 90 days. Priority 1 assistance will last for the first 21 days of the program.
“We know people in our community are still dealing with the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic,” ERA Program Administrator Wesley Matthews said. “This new Emergency Rental Assistance program may help keep people from being evicted or having critical services turned off if they are facing challenges with respect to paying their rent or utilities."
Participants must reapply between the first and third month to receive additional assistance and continue to do so in three-month increments. The ERA program will provide up to 12 months of rent and utility assistance to eligible households.
On July 12, landlords and tenants can also receive a copy of their registrations as proof of application to use in eviction proceedings already in progress. The county said in a press release that landlords should encourage tenants with past due rent to apply.
The Hays County Commissioners Court approved the implementation of the program. More information on how to apply can be found on the county's website.
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