Texas’ Rent Relief program ran out of money and closed just two days after re-opening

A program that helped Texans with their rent because of the pandemic has once again closed because it is running out of money.

When the Texas Rent Relief program started accepting applications Tuesday, nearly $100 million was available to help landlords and tenants. The application portal shut down by noon Thursday.

“Within the first 24 hours of re-opening, requests for assistance far exceeded available funding,” the program’s website stated. “Applicants facing eviction will be prioritized if their application includes a valid eviction docket number.”

For more information on the status of the rent relief program, go here..

Funded by the federal government, the rent relief program launched as a pilot program in fall 2020. By the following year it had gone statewide, with the aim of providing emergency rental assistance to landlords whose tenants have been impacted by the pandemic.

The program abruptly closed in November of 2021 because it had run out of money. The portal’s closure caused consternation in North Texas courts tasked with settling eviction cases. Program officials had not informed the courts of the portal’s closure.

In Tarrant County, the program has given over $155 million in rent assistance and nearly $100 million helping tenants pay rent owed, according to a program overview. Applicants in the county received an average of $7,119 in assistance.