Thousands of Fort Worth families could qualify for coronavirus relief. Here’s how.
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated.
More than 4,200 Fort Worth households struggling to pay rent or mortgages may soon find assistance through a $15.4 million city emergency fund boosted with coronavirus relief money.
Low- to moderate-income residents who have lost wages or are unemployed due to the novel coronavirus outbreak may qualify for rent, mortgage and utility assistance. Some money may also be used for services for the elderly and other employment programs, Victor Turner, director of neighborhood services, told City Council members last week. The money is a combination of about $8.2 million in previously allotted federal housing money and $7.2 million the city recently received.
That $7.2 million comes from roughly $158 million in federal relief Fort Worth received to cover costs related to the outbreak. At least $15 million has been set aside for small businesses. More money may be available for community assistance, but the city will first use the large pot to pay for unbudgeted city expenses like overtime, sick leave, running the emergency operations center and purchasing masks and gowns. Whatever is leftover will be spent in the community, but city staff didn’t know how much that would be.
Many households need this money now, but federal guidelines require council approval or public comment on the use of the funds, Turner said.
The money would be divided across multiple programs designed to provide people with housing assistance. Typically the city doles out the money to partner organizations and nonprofits that administer the applications, such as Community Action Partners.
The largest pot — the $7.2 million — will provide rent, mortgage, utility and other housing assistance to about 2,000 households at an average of $1,200 for three months. Applications will be taken as early as May 6 through the city’s website.
Mayor Betsy Price said she was concerned about a staff recommendation to contract with a third party vendor to administer those funds, saying it may be a poor use of “precious dollars.”
“I’d love to see if we can’t do this work ourselves or in partnership with some of our existing businesses and philanthropic (organizations) rather than taking these dollars out to consultants,” she said.
About $2.5 million would help 700 households with an income at or below 200% of the poverty level. Applications for this program are being taken now with expectation that funds would be awarded around June 12.
Applications have not yet opened for other pots of money.
Nearly $3.5 million would supply 970 households that make 80% or less of the area median income with housing assistance. In 2018, the city’s median income was a little more than $59,000.
A little less than $2 million could go to a program that would help pay for security deposits and other rental assistance for an estimated 536 households facing homelessness. That assistance would be available for six months for those who make 50% or less of the area median income.
About $230,000 is open for those who are HIV-positive or have been diagnosed with AIDS. Those applicants must make 80% or less of the area median income.
Applications for these pools will be taken starting later this month. Details about how to apply were not available, but Turner said the city would provide links to applications through its website. All applicants must prove hardship.
About 43% of the city’s housing stock is rental units, and roughly 15% of them did not collect rent in April, Turner said. Eighty percent of renters make less than $80,000.
The City Council has not decided how to spend another large pool of money that would be used to rehouse 300 people who are currently facing homelessness, many of whom are sheltered at the Fort Worth Convention Center. Each person would receive about $6,200 for six months of assistance. The council will decide how to spend this money later this month.
Fort Worth’s $15.4 million allocation is similar to other Texas cities, according to a city assessment. Austin and Dallas plan to devote $15 million and $18 million to mortgage and rental assistance, though Austin’s pool comes from the city’s general fund, not the federal stimulus. San Antonio, however, appears ready to spend $25 million, according to the assessment.
This story was originally published May 4, 2020 at 6:00 AM.
