BEAUMONT, Texas — Jefferson County is extending the deadline for county residents to apply for rental assistance.
The United States Treasury Department gave Jefferson County $7.6 million to help renters in need. So far, the county has only used 18 percent.
That means there is more than $6 million left to help people in Jefferson County who are struggling to pay bills and rent. The treasury department wanted 65 percent of $7.6 million to be spent by Sept. 30.
The Southeast Texas Regional Planning Commission said it has been a struggle trying to reach those numbers.
“Texas has been running their program simultaneously in Jefferson County, and they have already served over 3000 people or households in our community and distributed over $14 million in Jefferson County,” Colleen Haliburton, SETRPC service director, said.
Members of the SETRPC said it’s important that at least 30 percent of the $7.6 million is used by the new Nov. 30, 2021 deadline, to help keep the other portion of the unspent money within the county.
“The potential of any other funds being pulled out of the program and reallocated to the state,” Haliburton said.
Those who make less than 80 percent of the Southeast Texas average income qualify. Those who have Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits will be automatically approved, and the application of Southeast Texans who are in the process of being evicted will get seen sooner.
“You need to be able to show that there's been some sort of impact from COVID-19 to your family, as well as providing other documentation such as a signed lease,” Haliburton said.
To speed up the process, the SETRPC has been reaching out to area non-profits like Some Other Place. Paula O’Neal, Some Other Place executive director, is helping to manage cases and said those who wish to get help have to fill out an online application.
“Make sure you provide all the documentation because as much as we know the person applying needs the help, we can't award it are provide it until we have all the information that is required of us,” O’Neal said.