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An official website of the Texas state government

If you or someone you know is in need of assistance, please visit our Help for Texans Page.

Texas Rent Relief is currently sending out 1099s to landlords who received payment from the program in 2023. If you have questions about a 1099 you received from TRR, please call (844)-440-1291 or email RRTaxForms@horne.com.

The Texas Rent Relief Program (TRR) and the Texas Eviction Diversion Program (TDEP) were the first statewide rental and utility assistance and eviction diversion programs in Texas. The programs launched in February 2021 and closed in the summer of 2023. The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) administered the programs with Emergency Rental Assistance Program funds from the U.S. Department of the Treasury. By providing rent and utility assistance, TRR and TEDP helped low and moderate income Texas renters remain stably housed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Texas Eviction Diversion Program by design, specifically:

  • Allowed courts to pause eviction cases while tenants and landlords applied for rental assistance.
  • Provided training to court administrators about how tenants and landlords could access available rental assistance.
  • Made lump-sum payments to participating landlords for past-due rent and late fees so tenants could remain in their homes.
  • Kept evictions off tenants' records by making eviction case records confidential.

Program Highlights by the Numbers

  • Over $2.2 billion in rent and utility assistance paid to more than 323,000 Texas households impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic to keep their housing.
  • 250 out of 254 Texas counties served – a 98% reach of the vast Texas territory.
  • More than 82% of households served were at or below 50% of their area median income.
  • For more information, download Texas Rent Relief Program Highlights (PDF) | Spanish (PDF)

Eviction Diversion

  • Through the Texas Eviction Diversion Program partnership with the courts, more than 25,000 applicants received more than $243 million in assistance and had their evictions stopped and made confidential from their records. 
  • 800 Texas Justices of the Peace (JPs) implemented TEDP at eviction hearings. 
  • 254 County Court (Appeal) Judges implemented TEDP at eviction appeal hearings. 
  • Through the Housing Stability Services (HSS) Program, TDHCA has allocated more than $209.8 million of ERA funds to local communities and non-profits to keep Texans housed and prevent homelessness. Through December 2023, 98,746 households have been assisted by HSS-funded organizations. Of the total ERA HSS funds, $44.5 million has been allocated to legal aid organizations to provide eviction prevention and other housing stability related legal services. So far, 39,328 households have received free legal assistance, including representation in eviction court, legal counsel, and mediation services. Through local partners, HSS has also assisted 32,941 households with free legal counsel to prevent eviction and address fair housing violations. The HSS Program is estimated to continue through July 2025.
  • For more information, download Texas Eviction Diversion Program Overview | Spanish (PDF)

Outreach

  • More than 410,000 bilingual (English and Spanish) postcards were mailed to low-income renters statewide and nearly 500,000 flyers and doorhangers were distributed to community partners in five different languages. 
  • TexasRentRelief.com had more than 6 million users and 30 million page-views, including views of content in Spanish, Korean, Vietnamese and Chinese.

Stakeholder Efforts

This effort would not have been possible without feedback from tenants, landlords and utility providers throughout the development of the program. TDHCA is grateful for the collaboration from apartment associations, tenant organizations, legal aid providers, utility providers, local Emergency Rental Assistance Program administrators, statewide agencies such as the Office of Court Administration, the Supreme Court of Texas, the Public Utilities Commission, and elected officials statewide. TDHCA thanks everyone who helped improve and support this unprecedented pandemic rent relief effort.

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