BakerRipley

COVID-19 Rental Assistance Program

To apply you will need to complete the Tenant Application which includes the following steps:

Select your landlord from the Participating Landlord Directory
Submit the following information
- Name and contact information
- Rental property information to include monthly rent amount and amounts of past due rent by month
- Household size and household monthly income information
Certifying that you meet the eligibility requirements
- To see a complete list of Tenant Eligibility Requirements, click here
Submit intake documents for
- Proof of identity
- Proof of residence within the rental property
- To see a complete list of accepted documents, click here
Additional eligibility documents may be requested to complete eligibility, including proof of current monthly Household Income

Need help submitting the application?

If you do not have access to a computer or the internet, you have the following 3 options to get your application submitted:

Get help from a family member, friend or other trusted contact who has access to internet and, having your photo ID and proof of residence within the rental property with you, submit the application online together.

If you are not able to meet in person with a family member, friend, or trusted contact who has access to the internet, they can still submit an application for you using the Authorization Form. They will need to complete the Authorization Form and upload it in two sections in the application – in place of the tenant photo ID AND in place of the proof of residence within the rental property. You should provide all of the required tenant applicant information to them over the phone and they can submit the application for you.

Authorization Form: English | Spanish | Vietnamese | Chinese (simplified)

We have several call centers available to help submit an application for you over the phone. The call center phone numbers and hours of operation are listed here. Once you have connected with a call center staff member, you will provide them all of the required tenant applicant information and they will complete and submit the application for you. Call center staff will use the Authorization Form below and will include it with your application in place of your photo ID AND in place of the proof of residence within the rental property.

If you are unable to complete the application form online, we have several call centers available to help. The call centers will complete your application over the phone. For your convenience, the call center phone numbers and hours of operation are listed below.

(281) 272-6478

Monday - Friday

8:00 AM - 4:30 PM

Saturday

8:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Tenant Eligibility Requirements

For both programs, Tenants must need rental assistance for past due rent and must:

Reside in a rental property on the Participating Landlord list

A Landlord will be asked to complete a Landlord Enrollment form, upload supporting documents, and review and sign a Participating Landlord Agreement. To see all Landlord program terms and conditions, please go here.

Additionally, each program has the following different eligibility requirements

Harris County Rent Assistance Program Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for up to $1,900 of rental assistance for past due rent from Harris County, the Tenant must meet the following conditions

Total household income on or after April 1st 2020 must be below sixty-percent (60%) of Area Median Income (AMI), see 60% AMI income chart below
No member in the household has received other Harris County COVID-19 related assistance

Harris County 60% the Area Median Income* (AMI)

If your household income is at or below the amounts in this table, then you meet the income requirements for the Harris County Rent Assistance Program.

$2,760

$33,120

$3,155

$37,860

$3,550

$42,600

$3,940

$47,280

$4,260

$51,120

$4,575

$54,900

$4,890

$58,680

$5,205

$62,460

*AMI is for the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land MSA in 2020 as defined by HUD and reported by City of Houston Housing and Community Development, retrieved from https://houstontx.gov/housing/flyers/Area-Median-Income-Chart-2020-Final-071420.pdf

For more information, visit the FAQ page.

City of Houston Rent Assistance Program Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for up to $2,112 of rental assistance for past due rent from City of Houston, the Tenant must meet the following conditions

Total household income prior in February 2020 (prior to COVID-19) must be below eighty-percent (80%) of Area Median Income (AMI), see 80% AMI income chart OR tenant is currently participating in any of the programs listed

City of Houston 80% of the Area Median Income* (AMI)

If your household income was at or below the amounts in this table in February 2020, then you meet the income requirements for the City of Houston Rent Assistance Program.

$3,679

$44,150

$4,204

$50,450

$4,729

$56,750

$5,254

$63,050

$5,675

$68,100

$6,095

$73,150

$6,516

$78,200

$6,937

$83,250

Public Programs List

If you are a member of one of the following, then you meet the income requirements for the City of Houston Rent Assistance Program.

Medicaid

Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)

Federal Pell Grant (if current student)

Harris Health Gold Card

Head Start or Early Head Start

Public Housing Assistance (Houston or Harris County Housing Authority)

Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)

National School Lunch Program (Free and/or Reduced School Lunch)

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP/Food Stamps)

Women, Infants, and Children Program (WIC)

Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

Tribal Assistance

VA Pension or Disability

For more information, visit the FAQ page.

Eligibility Documents

Proof of identity

Valid photo identification can be a

driver license,
passport
state ID,
school ID,
nonprofit membership ID,
US visa,
work permit,
green card,
a current or expired foreign government issued ID,
matricula consular,
work ID,
Office of Refugee Resettlement ID

Proof of residence within the Participating Landlord property

Valid photo identification with address of current rental location
OR: Current utility bill with name of applicant & address of rental location (water, gas, cell phone, internet, other utilities)
OR: Lease with name of applicant and address of rental location

Proof of income

Additional Intake Documents (if application is selected for the Harris County Rent Assistance Program)

Any of the following will be accepted and should be included if they make up part of the current monthly income for every adult (over 18 years old) in the household

Current pay stub(s) from work or letter from employer indicating current monthly wages/salary OR declaration of income statement
OR: If self-employed, current monthly financial statement or self-attestation of self-employment
OR: If unemployed, current TWC unemployment check or statement OR letter from employer indicating termination of employment OR certification of no income: English | Vietnamese | Chinese
Certification of financial hardship due to COVID-19: English | Vietnamese | Chinese

Preview the tenant application form in:

English

Vietnamese

Chinese

Process and Timeline

Phase 1

Landlord Enrollment

Residential Property Landlords enroll to be a Participating Landlord

‍Enroll Here

Landlord enrollment steps:

Review and sign the Landlord Program Agreement
Submit property information
Submit required program documents
BakerRipley verifying Landlord Enrollment
Verified properties are listed in the Participating Landlord Directory

Enroll Now

Note: The Landlord Enrollment process is not a guarantee of rental assistance.

Phase 2

Tenant Application

Residential Tenants apply for rental assistance for past due rent

Accepting applications now!

Tenant application steps:

Search and select their landlord from the Participating Landlord List
Submit tenant information
Certify eligibility requirements
Submit initial intake documents

Apply now

Note: The Tenant Application process is not a guarantee of rental assistance.

Phase 3

Application Selection

Tenant Applications are selected for processing

Application selection steps:

BakerRipley will select Tenant Applications based on program criteria and priorities
Tenants will be notified that they have been selected for processing
Tenants will submit any final eligibility program documents
Tenants will receive notification of approval or denial

Note: The Application Selection process is not a guarantee of rental assistance

Phase 4

Payments to Landlords

Payments are processed to Landlords

Payment to landlord steps:

Landlord receives notification that a "pledge" has been made for an approved Tenant Application
Landlord confirms the amount of past due rent
Tenant and Landlord receive notification of the "confirmed pledge" rental assistance amount
Landlord is paid
Tenant and Landlord receive notification of "paid" rental assistance amount

Our community continues to suffer great economic damage resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, with many people unable to cover basic necessities, including rent. This program will bring relief to those across our region who so desperately need it, allowing families to stay in their homes while addressing the collateral impact on property owners.

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo

COVID-19 has impacted many Houstonians who have faced undue financial hardship because of a loss of wages or income. I am proud that The City of Houston is stepping up by providing resources for immediate financial relief to renters.

Mayor Sylvester Turner

Working together to serve you

This program is a collaborative effort to stand with our neighbors in this difficult time.

BakerRipley, founded in 1907, brings resources, education, and connection to nearly 600,000 individuals in Greater Houston each year through holistic community-based programs that support socioeconomic mobility, health and wellness, and disaster recovery.

Connective (formerly Harvey Home Connect) is a disaster recovery and preparedness system. We provide coordinated recovery for communities in need, and do so through building human-centered intake and application processes, technology-enabled coordination tools, and streamlined data analysis.

Harris County provided $40 million for the COVID-19 Rental Assistance Program.

The City of Houston provided $20 million for the COVID-19 Rental Assistance Program. This is in addition to $15 million in COVID-19 Rental Assistance that the City provided earlier this year.

Private Donors

Greater Houston COVID-19 Recovery Fund Grant jointly led by the United Way of Greater Houston and the Greater Houston Community Foundation donated $1 million to the COVID-19 Rental Assistance Program.