Industry Update: AAA OUTREACH ON A MISSION

By Paul Cauduro, AAA Director of Government Relations

The City of Austin launched the RENT (Relief of Emergency Needs for Tenants) Program in May 2020, which was funded by the City of Austin’s Housing Trust Fund and administered by the Housing Authority of the City of Austin (HACA). The RENT program served nearly 1,680 City of Austin households, providing more than $1.2 million in emergency rental assistance to households in need.

Of the households served, nearly two-thirds earned at or below 30% of the Median Family Income (MFI). Most households served identified as LatinX households, and nearly 20% identified as African-American or Black. Geographically, the RENT program served households across the City of Austin, with the highest concentration in near Southeast and Northeast zip codes.

The success of this early program, which sent payments directly to the rental property owner or agent, was impactful but only temporary. The ongoing financial challenges that families continue to experience due to COVID-19 led to a new program launched in September 2020 to support additional households unable to pay rent. While the first program distributed $1.8 million in rental assistance the second program, appropriately labeled the RENT 2.0 Program, was filled with $13.6 million in rent aid.

As part of the program implementation strategy the City of Austin partnered with community organizations in order to expand the program’s outreach and impact. The AAA applied for, and was awarded, a grant from the city to educate apartment owners and managers about the program and create opportunities for residents to apply.

As part of our grant deliverables, the AAA created a dedicated section in the weekly newsletters sent to members in order to directly relay critical information about the RENT 2.0 program and its workings. The AAA also held webinars to with program administrators to help answer questions about application submittal requirements and responsibilities.

The AAA also worked in the field to help apartment residents economically impacted by COVID submit an application for rent assistance. The AAA accomplished this by creating small computer resource areas at various apartment communities where computer laptop terminals, a document scanner and assistance was made is available to help renters complete an application.

The efforts taken by the AAA and other outreach grant recipients, including AAA member Foundation Communities, seemed to have an impact. Early in the program the number of applicants was noticeably few, but after few changes to the program and after the outreach were fully launched, the program applications gained quickly. The December 8 application deadline was hastily announced just days just days prior when nearly 3,200 family had already been helped. At the program’s deadline, it was estimated that nearly 4,000 family would be assisted and more than $13,000,000 paid directly to the property. For a complete view of the program’s dashboard go to www.austintexas.gov/RENT.

To be sure, the program was not perfect. Applicants and properties had a myriad of documents to sign, scan and upload which proved to be challenge for many, and the program’s eligibility requirements and structure also came into question. The city used 2019 income as a filter to award assistance, and there were many applicants who had little or no income in 2020 yet were deemed ineligible because they exceeded the income threshold in 2019. And much to the dismay of the AAA, and despite many requests, the program structure would not allow a property manager to submit an application for assistance on behalf of residents unwilling or able to do so themselves.

In the end, the AAA participation in the outreach effort was deemed a success and in fulfillment of our mission to advance the expertise and collective community impact of the rental housing industry. AAA staff and leadership worked with city and program administrators and provided input and help craft an effective program workable for rental properties of all shapes, sizes and management structures. The application events held at Paddock at Norwood, Park at Stone Creek, Menlo at Mueller and Creekstone Apartment were aided by volunteers and onsite professionals and their efforts directly impacted the community and is very much appreciated.

As new programs and funding emerges to mitigate the economic impacts of COVID the AAA will continue to pursue efforts that allow us to demonstrate our organizational values of being: collaborative, purposeful, inclusive, influential and vibrant. In doing so we help foster connectivity among members, at all levels of the industry and community at large.

New Administration Ushers in New Era The new administration will certainly usher in new housing goals and priorities at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The new President selected Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-OH) as his nominee to be Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and the National Apartment Association (NAA), and all local affiliates in the NAA federation, stand ready to address the ongoing local, state and national housing issues with presumed Secretary Fudge.

The NAA is in agreement with incoming administration on many issues, including rental assistance programs and an anticipated $100 billion investment in affordable housing development, but diverge and disagree on positions related to rent control, source of income protections for voucher holders, eviction moratoria and other displacement prevention measures for renters affected by COVID-19 that unfairly put the financial burden of the crisis on housing providers.

The industry is anxious to begin working with new COVID-related relief programs and to provide input and assistance on the administration’s non-COVID programs and initiatives. As this process unfolds, the NAA will continue to serve as the leading voice for the rental housing industry and push for balanced policy to help meet our nation’s housing need.

Read about AAA’s current advocacy issues at www.austinaptassoc.com/news/advocacy-in-action