-
The county hoped to use additional federal money to prop up the program. That money isn't coming in.
-
The program could come back, but that hinges on federal funding that, as of now, hasn't yet materialized.
-
The county has seen a crush of applications since the City of Austin and the state closed their rent relief programs. It doesn't have enough money to cover all the applications for help it has received.
-
It's not the tsunami of evictions that some experts had feared, but eviction filings are rising sharply in many cities. Meanwhile, $47 billion from Congress to help is finally reaching more renters.
-
A family in Houston and a plumber in Maryland couldn't afford rent, which pushed them into crowded living quarters. During the COVID-19 pandemic, that common predicament has increased viral spread.
-
Bans against most evictions in the city and county have been in place for much of the pandemic. Local officials are beginning to phase out these protections.
-
More than 165,000 Texans have been helped by the state’s $1.9 billion rental assistance program that launched during the pandemic, but people have “slipped through the cracks,” advocates say.
-
The county has $10.7 million in federal funds to help pay rent for people affected financially by the pandemic, but as of this week, no rent payments have been made.
-
Tenant advocates can’t say how many renters in the Austin area have been affected by notices like these; some estimate dozens, others thousands.
-
The federal government plans to release $5 billion in new housing vouchers to help those at risk of homelessness. Low-income tenants often struggle to find landlords who will accept such vouchers.