AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- Austin renters impacted by COVID-19 will soon be able to tap into $17 million of assistance from the City of Austin, officials announced Tuesday.
The funding is part of a second round of the Relief of Emergency Needs for Tenants (RENT) Program, dubbed "RENT 2.0." City officials say they'll be able to help about 2,000 households a month between August 2020 and January 2021, providing either one or three months' rent assistance.
During a first phase of the program in May, there were nearly 11,000 applications submitted, with the city able to help 1,681 households with about $1.2 million in funds.
Officials say nearly $13 million will be available for direct rental assistance during this second round of the program. Another $1.3 million will be allocated for eviction prevention and tenant stabilization services, and $500,000 will be allocated for community outreach.
To be eligible for the program, residents need to live in the city and make 80 percent or less of the city's Median Family Income, or MFI. For an individual, that's $54,700 annually. Those below the 30% MFI level, or $20,550 annually, would be eligible for up to three months' worth of assistance.
The city hasn't yet said when it will begin accepting applications for the second round of the program. Once applications open, officials said residents will only need to apply once, and applicants will be selected randomly in a lottery each month.