Austin reopens applications for people who need help paying rent

Low-income renters struggle to afford monthly rent I can now apply to get help from the city. Austin is set to provide about $3.6 million after council members approved a new budget earlier this year.

Applications open at 8 a.m. Friday and will be open throughout the week, closing Nov. 7 at 5 p.m.

To be eligible, households must earn less than the local median income. For a home of four, that’s no more than $97,800 per year. Tenants must also prove that they have had difficulty paying rent, which may include a copy of the eviction notice or proof of a recent job loss. Renters must reside in the City of Austin.

Eligible renters will be selected through a lottery system and each household will be eligible to receive up to $6,000. The money will be paid directly to the landlord, so landlords must also be willing to participate in the program.

The city, which is partnering with the nonprofit El Buen Samaritano, plans to help 480 households pay rent in this latest round of funding.

Money is available in the form of rental prices in the city. fell for over a year now. However, despite this drop, many renters are still living in housing. they struggle to afford it.

Earlier this year, the city completed disbursing approximately $12 million in rental assistance to approximately 1,900 households. But the city received more than 7,000 applications for assistance and was ultimately forced to close the application portal in February.

The city launched a rental assistance program at the start of the pandemic, when thousands of people in Austin suddenly found themselves unemployed and struggling to pay rent. At that time, the city treasury was supported by federal funding, and therefore they were able to provide much bigger pots of money.

A spokesperson told KUT News that those who previously applied for the money but did not receive it will not remain in the system and are encouraged to reapply.