KILLEEN, Texas — The City of Killeen is offering rental assistance to residents who have been financially impacted by the pandemic. The city announced they will also be offering eviction diversion.
Leslie Hinkle, the executive director of Community Development for Killeen said that she has seen may people benefit from aid like this.
"We've received emails back, oh my gosh, from applicants saying I don't know what I've done," she said. "I would've been homeless, I would've had to go live with parents in another state. It's been a very trying 18 months."
Rental assistance is on a first-come, first-serve basis and all applicants must be below 80% of the area median income based on household size.
To qualify for rental assistance, Killeen residents must have been financially impacted as a result of COVID-19.
The breakdown for qualifiable income looks like this:
Household Size Gross Income
1 $36,250.00
2 $41,400.00
3 $46,600.00
4 $51,750.00
5 $55,900.00
6 $60,050.00
7 $64,200.00
8 $68,350.00
According to a release by the city, applicants can receive a maximum of six months of consecutive rental payments. Any rental assistance received may include past rent due from April 1, 2020 and forward and landlords must agree to participate in this program and to waive late fees for those who qualify.
Funding for the rental assistance program is provided by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs.
Hinkle says there is a checks and balances system so that people who truly need the money will receive it, but there are a variety of reasons to apply.
“I got COVID, I lost my job because of COVID, I’ve been unable to get back to my financial situation, or my children couldn’t go to school, I had to cut back on my hours to make sure I could be home with my children," Hinkle said.
Killeen residents who qualify could also be assisted by the The Texas Eviction Diversion Program, an organization for those who have been sued for eviction due to non-payment of rent related to COVID-19. As with the rental assistance program, the landlord must agree to waive all late fees in addition to not charging court costs to the tenant. Referrals for this program come only from the justice of the peace local courts that hear eviction cases in the city.
To apply, applicants must complete the entire application and upload all required documents for consideration. All documents must be in PDF format, no screen shots or photos will be accepted:
- Copy of photo identification of all household members over age 18
- Complete copy of your current rental lease
- Completed required documentation supplied via the online application
The online application system opens June 25 at 9 a.m. for both programs and will be available 24 hours a day until funds are depleted. Completed applications will be processed in the order they are received. You can access the portal here, which includes instructions on how to navigate the system.