October 2, 2020
Categories: Affordable Housing, Homelessness, Homeownership, Rental Housing
It's been six months since the COVID-19 pandemic began dramatically reshaping how we live our lives. And while some semblance of normalcy has returned, the crisis still poses an ongoing threat to our health and economic security.
In response to the health crisis, we created a COVID-19 Resources and Helpful Information web page back in March. We update that page as more information and resources become available.
We remain committed to the health and well-being of the community at large. To that end, we're highlighting important and more recent information below to ensure Texans are connected to the resources they need to lead healthy lives while stably housed. If you notice there are resources missing, we invite you to email them to us.
Generally speaking, renters facing hardships should contact their landlord to communicate their situation. Even with an eviction moratorium in place (linked below), renters should establish communication with their landlord if there is a disruption to timely rental payments.
Centers for Disease Control Halts Evictions Until March 31, 2021
City and Region Specific Rental Assistance Programs: Austin, Collin County, El Paso, Fort Bend County, Fort Worth, Hidalgo County, Houston, San Antonio, Williamson County
If the COVID-19 crisis has impacted your ability to make on-time mortgage payments, you are encouraged to contact to your loan servicer to see what payment arrangements can be made.
If your mortgage is guaranteed by the federal government (FHA, VA and USDA loans), Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, you may be eligible for reduced or suspended mortgage payments for up to 12 months.
On August 27th, HUD, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac also extended the current foreclosure moratorium, which protects homeowners from foreclosure, until December 31st.
Learn More About Mortgage Relief Options and Protections
In addition to these resources, some of the city and region specific rental assistance programs linked above also provide mortgage assistance.
As a reminder, here are the six most important things you can do to protect yourself and others against the coronavirus: (1) wash your hands frequently, (2) maintain a distance of 6 feet from others, (3) cover your mouth and nose with a mask, (4) cover cough and sneezes, (5) clean and disinfect and (6) monitor your health daily.
In addition to these tips, we encourage you to be mindful of local guidance that further protects the community like limiting the size of social gatherings and avoiding non-essential travel.
On the House blog posts are meant to provide general information on various housing-related issues, research and programs. We are not liable for any errors or inaccuracies in the information provided by blog sources. Furthermore, this blog is not legal advice and should not be used as a substitute for legal advice from a licensed professional attorney.
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