HOUSTON – The Texas Eviction Diversion program is expected to help 100 families across Harris County with back rent and to get ahead.
The program is also aimed at helping families and landlords too.
“Overwhelming. It was a lot to deal with, kind of still is,” said mom of two, Jaki Turner.
Turner, whose daughter is 11 years old and son 8 years old, is a cancer survivor, a student and a Lyft driver.
When COVID-19 hit, she had some money saved and was able to care for her family. But the last few months have been really hard.
“I don’t want things to seem different for my kids. I don’t want them to know the struggle that I’m going through,” Turner said.
She, like so many other families, fell behind on rent. Her landlord filed an eviction notice. But in court, she learned about the Texas Eviction Diversion program expected to help both families and landlords who are feeling the hard times.
“With this program, it’s definitely gotten a lot easier. It’s definitely a weight off my shoulders,” Turner said.
“Families literally have not been able to pay (rent) since March so you can imagine what that does to a family business. We think it’s literally going to save our business,” said property owner Elizabeth Burkhardt, with Burkhardt Investment Group.
Harris County is one of nine counties testing out the program across the state of Texas getting Federal CARES Act money for the program. Gulf Coast Community Services Association in Houston received $600,000 to help landlords and tenants come to an agreement with back rent and future rent being paid by the program.
“What’s unique about this is that it stops the eviction process and requires landlords and tenants to work together. If we aren’t able to interrupt that process, we will have a homeless crisis of families out on the street in the midst of a health crisis,” said Jonita Reynolds, CEO of Gulf Coast Community Services Association.
Families have to be in the eviction process to qualify.
For more information and how you can sign up click here: www.gccsa.org