Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to reflect the Housing Authority of the City of Austin will help distribute $1.2 million in funding
AUSTIN (KXAN) — An Austin rent assistance program received nearly 11,000 applicants over a three-day window in May, according to a City of Austin memo.
Presented by the Housing Authority of the City of Austin, the Relief of Emergency Needs for Tenants Program (RENT) aimed to provide financial assistance to Austin tenants affected by the COVID-19 pandemic by paying their May 2020 rent.
To be eligible for the program, applicants needed to prove they lived in the City of Austin, met a certain income requirement, aren’t receiving other government assistance and are dealing with job/income loss due to COVID-19.
Out of 10,738 total applications, 5,552 applicants were considered preliminarily eligible for program assistance. HACA expects to distribute $1.2 million to approved applicants.
The total rent requested from the initially eligible applicants was nearly $6.9 million. The average rent request for each eligible applicant was $1,185, according to the memo.
The total application number includes started, eligible and denied applications. Rent payments were expected to be made no later than Friday, May 15.