Emergency rental assistance program, provides $18 million for Dallas residents, through DHA, Housing Solutions for North Texas

Applications for Emergency Rental Assistance are open starting June 1, at DallasRentRelief.com, the program is available through DHA, Housing Solutions for North Texas (DHA). There is $18 million in rental assistance being administered by DHA through December 31, 2021, to help eligible Dallas residents who have been adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic through the loss of their employment income or who have sustained a reduction in income and are delinquent in paying rent or need help with future payments. The City of Dallas COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) is funded by the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

The program can provide assistance for those negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic for up to 12 months of past-due and future rent payments from March 2020 to December 2021. DHA can issue payments for up to $1,500 per month for rent assistance only. This program does not include utility payments. Landlords can also apply on behalf of their tenants.

Tenant eligibility requirements include:

Must live in the city of Dallas;
Adversely impacted financially by the COVID-19 pandemic;
Current household annual income of 80% or less of the area median income (AMI) for Dallas;
At risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability (e.g., received eviction notice, have past-due rent, living in an unstable housing situation);
Must be renting — cannot be the owner of the property;
Cannot live in a property owned by family members;
Must be a citizen or eligible non-citizen;
Cannot be employed by the City of Dallas or DHA.

All applications will be reviewed for these eligibility requirements and priority will be given to households where:

Annual household income is 50% AMI or less;
Someone in the household has experienced unemployment for the last 90 days

A person is NOT eligible for this program if they:

Make above 80% of the AMI;
Live in a household where the residents are living in units owned by an immediate family member;
Are a City employee and/or is an immediate family member of a City employee;
Are a DHA employee and/or is an immediate family member of a DHA employee;
Live outside the city of Dallas.

Applicants or landlords applying on behalf of their tenants must submit a completed application with supporting documentation. DHA will conduct an open enrollment for this program accepting applications beginning at 9 a.m. on June 1, 2021. Program information and the online application will be available at DallasRentRelief.com. Applicants or landlords may submit an application online from their computer, tablet or other mobile device.

DHA’s offices are currently closed as a COVID-19 pandemic precaution. If you need assistance regarding your application, please use the chatbot or contact form provided on the website.