El Paso rental assistance program helps landlords, tenants hit by COVID-19 pandemic

Landlords and tenants in El Paso County can enroll in a program to help ease financial hardships brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Officials said $13.08 million in federal funding was allocated through the city and county for the EP Rent Help Program, which is administered by the Paso del Norte Community Foundation, a nonprofit that works to improve education, quality of life, health, social services and economic development in the region.

The registration portal for landlords is open at EPRentHelp.org. Tenants will be able to apply through the same link starting Thursday, April 22. To receive rental assistance, tenants and their landlords both must register for the program.

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Tracy Yellen, the CEO of the Paso del Norte Community Foundation, said having landlords enroll first facilitates the process for tenants.

"When a tenant goes to apply and submit their paperwork, they can identify and select their landlord and see if their landlord is already participating in the system," Yellen said.

If tenants register, Yellen said, and don't see their landlord, they should contact the Paso del Norte Community Foundation, which will "reach out to the landlord to facilitate that enrollment." 

Landlords may be able to receive up to 12 months of past due rent and up to three months of future rent, depending on eligibility and the funding source. Tenants and landlords within El Paso and the county's unincorporated areas, as well as Horizon City, San Elizario, Socorro, Clint, Vinton and Anthony, Texas, are eligible to apply. 

Those who seek rental assistance must show that they have had a negative economic impact from the pandemic, such as a job loss, reduced hours or a reduction in benefits. Tenant household income must be less than or equal to 80% of the 2020 average median income in El Paso County. Tenants with a median income of 50% or below will be prioritized.

Stimulus checks received in 2020 and 2021 will not count toward income in determining eligibility.

Rental assistance is on a first-come, first-served basis until funds are exhausted. 

In 2020, the EP Rent Program received over $7 million through federal funding to assist more than 3,000 families across 2,000 properties alongside 1,000 landlords. 

"It is so important to help families get back on their feet and to recover from the pandemic to access all the programs that they're eligible for," Yellen said. "Don't be bashful; this is what they're intended for — they are for families in need."

For questions about the application process, contact the United Way of El Paso County's Community Resilience Center at 877-594-7276 or email eprenthelp@pdnfoundation.org

Anthony Jackson may be reached at ADJackson@elpasotimes.com and @TonyAnjackson on Twitter.