City of Pearland issued the following announcement.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the City of Pearland has distributed an estimated $370,000 in rental assistance for residents in Pearland, all from Federal CARES Act funding allocated to the City for the purpose of coronavirus relief. MPACT Strategic Consulting was hired by the City to administer the initiative, bringing on several caseworkers and developing a web-based application portal to help renters and landlords register for participation in the program.
The program helps fill the gap of needs of vulnerable households in Pearland with outstanding or unpaid rent due to a COVID-19 economic impact. “The City worked closely with the Houston Apartment Association to gather information from multifamily apartment complexes on outstanding rents throughout the pandemic. Reports showed at least $400,000 in unpaid lease payments for approximately 28 properties in Pearland,” said Joel Hardy, the City of Pearland’s Grants/Special Projects administrator, who manages the day-to-day affairs of the City’s Coronavirus Relief Fund. To-date, a total of 150 tenants have been assisted with rental assistance payments to approximately 45 landlords, in most cases covering two months of outstanding rent for leases in September, October, November and/or December.
“Rental assistance is incredibly important, and we applaud the City of Pearland for putting together a program that provides much-needed relief to renters who have been greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.” said Houston Apartment Association Assistant VP of Outreach Lauren Turner. She continued, “The Houston Apartment Association looks forward to our continued partnership with the city.”
While the CARES Act funding expires prior to the end of calendar year 2020, Hardy anticipates other Federal funds and State-issued grants could allow the City to continue offering rental assistance programs over the coming months. According to Hardy, “the City intends to continue its efforts to help those in need of rental assistance if additional funding from other sources becomes available.”
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