The City of Fort Worth's Emergency Rental Assistance Program will come to an end on Thursday after successfully disbursing $30,840,857 to eligible applicants and assisting 4,785 families.
According to the City of Fort Worth, the ERAP program has averaged expenditures of $4.5 million per month in an effort to fight the impacts of the pandemic within the city since Nov. 2021.
The City of Fort Worth partnered with Fort Worth Housing Solutions to disburse federal funds in order to keep families in their homes and assist with utility bills, officials said.
City officials said the decision to close the ERAP portal and program on March 31, 2022, came after the number of applications portal exceeded the amount of available funds.
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According to Fort Worth officials, more than 1,900 applications currently are being reviewed by staff to determine each applicant's eligibility.
Families who applied prior to the deadline will still have an opportunity to receive assistance based upon their eligibility, officials said. New applications will only be accepted if the applicant has had an eviction filed against them in court.
For new applications to be considered, tenants must provide:
- eviction documents
- court docket number
- Justice of the Peace/precinct number in section G of the application
Funds are still available through other resources,
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Officials said the city will direct applicants who cannot be helped by the city's ERAP program to other resources with available funds.
"The City of Fort Worth is wholly committed to its residents and has worked tirelessly to provide help to the community post-COVID-19," said Terrance Jones of the City of Fort Worth Neighborhood Services. "Our immediate focus is addressing the applications in the portal and directing applicants to other resources," said Terrance Jones of the City of Fort Worth Neighborhood Services."
Anyone with questions should email FWERAP@fortworthtexas.gov or call 817-392-7540 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. for more information.
