COLLEGE STATION, Texas — As people started losing their jobs during the pandemic, keeping up with rent was an added concern on top of the novel coronavirus.
However, starting September 4, 2020, the CDC has paused evictions nationwide and people cannot be removed from their residence until 2021 if they fall under the CDC's Declaration Form.
“I think it’s good and bad, it’s great for tenants and it’s great for people who have [lost] their jobs and have been affected and they’re not making the income they used to make and are having trouble paying their rent or making their mortgage payments. But then you have the flip side of it because it’s going to have an economic hardship on the owners of those properties and mortgage lenders," said College Station's director of community services Debbie Eller.
The city of College Station has been working through summer to provide rental assistance to those struggling in the community during this time.
“The city council set aside some funding to help with rental assistance, so that we can hopefully help people pay their rent for a few months until they got their jobs back or their hours became more normal so they can make those payments. It’s about 1.2 million dollars the city has allocated toward rental assistance," said Eller.
The city is focused on helping people keep up with their rent now so that their bills don’t pile up.
This assistance isn’t only helping tenants but it is also making sure that landlords can keep up with their own finances as a rental property owner. However, not everyone is eligible for this aid.
“We have guidelines we have to follow and restrictions on those funds. When they’re not eligible, we look at other agencies who might have a source of public funding, fundraisers that are happening in the community so we are working closely with United Way and [their 211 line] so that they are keeping up with what funds are available," said Eller
The Brazos County Justice of the Peace says it will be following the CDC order until further rulings.
For more information about rental assistance and local resources to help you cover expenses during this time, visit their website HERE.