DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--DHA, Housing Solutions for North Texas (DHA) announced today that it has been designated to help facilitate the distribution of rent relief funds from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. DHA has designed the program to promote an equitable distribution of funds that gives consideration to the most vulnerable neighborhoods across the City of Dallas. DHA is authorized to distribute up to $4,050,000 in CARES ACT funding through this program.
The City of Dallas COVID-19 Rent Relief program, funded by the CARES ACT, is a federally funded initiative designed to help low income households and people who have been adversely impacted by COVID-19 through the loss of their employment income or who sustained a reduction in income and are delinquent in paying rent. DHA is administering a rent relief program only.
The program can issue payment for up to two months of past due unpaid rent directly to the landlord not to exceed $1,500 per month. DHA will select eligible applicants by lottery on a regular basis based on funding availability.
“A community's ability to respond and recover from a disease outbreak and associated economic loss is likely to be based on a series of factors including neighborhood inequities,” says Dr. Myriam Igoufe, vice president of Policy Development & Research for DHA. “To ensure an equitable rent relief distribution process we have leveraged the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) Vulnerability Index, which DHA adjusted for local conditions, to identify the most vulnerable neighborhoods in Dallas. Funding levels are set for each Dallas City Council District based on the number of people living in highly vulnerable neighborhoods. Eligible applicants will be randomly selected from their respective District’s lottery until funds are exhausted.”
Dr. Maggie Deichert, DHA’s director of Policy Development & Research says, “To streamline the application process and maintain timely communication with applicants, our team is leveraging the power of technology and automation, and we have also accounted for the technological divide that continues to challenge under-resourced communities.”
To qualify for the latest assistance, residents must:
- Live in the City of Dallas
- Be the primary lease holder
- Have household income at or below 80% of the Area Median Income
- Have been financially impacted by COVID-19, either through job loss or lost hours
- Be delinquent paying rent (between April 2020 and present) due to COVID-19, and are at risk of losing their current housing
- Have a landlord willing to accept terms and payment through this program
A person is NOT eligible for this program, if he/she:
- Currently receives housing assistance from any government agency/organization
- Has already received federal CARES Act rental or mortgage assistance
- Makes above 80% of the Area Median Income
- Lives in a household where the residents are living in units owned by an immediate family member
- Is a City employee and/or is an immediate family member of a City employee
- Is a DHA employee and/or is an immediate family member of a DHA employee
- Lives outside the City of Dallas
Applicants must submit a completed application with supporting documentation. DHA will conduct an open enrollment for this program accepting applications beginning 9 a.m. CST on August 24, 2020. Program information and the online application will be available at DallasCaresActRent.org. Applicants may submit an application online from their computer, tablet or other mobile device.
For detailed information about the program, please see this video: https://bit.ly/dhantx-CARES-Act.
Additional information on the process and how to prepare to apply can be found on the site at: DallasCaresActRent.org.
About DHA, Housing Solutions for North Texas (formerly the Dallas Housing Authority)
DHA, Housing Solutions for North Texas provides quality, affordable housing to low-income families and individuals through the effective and efficient administration of housing assistance programs. The agency aims to create opportunities for program participants to achieve self-sufficiency and economic independence. DHA provides housing opportunities to ~55,000 people through public housing developments and Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) programs. Our mission is to provide affordable quality housing and access to supportive resources across North Texas. DHA is governed by its Board of Commissioners and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. DHA is an independent, local government entity, that is separate from the Dallas City Housing/Community Services department, which is governed by the City of Dallas. For more information about DHA, please visit www.dhantx.com.
