Texas Rent Relief Program closes application portal 12 days early due to high demand

ABILENE, Texas — Extremely high demand for rental relief has forced the Texas Rent Relief application portal to close two days after reopening.

The portal was supposed to remain open until March 28th but instead it closed Thursday due to 70,000 applicants applying within 24 hours.

The early closure has left Chelsey Simmons who is a stay at home mom feeling left out.

“It’s kind of discouraging a little bit being told so many times that so many slots are already filled,” Simmons said.

The mother of four said the rental relief would be a big help to her family who relies on her husband for income.

“It would help people like us so we can maybe enjoy more of our kids, instead of busting our tails 24/7 trying to make sure we’re making ends meet,” Simmons said. “It would make life more enjoyable.”

Like many families, Chelsey didn’t get a chance to apply for rental relief. By the time she heard about the application the portal was already closed.

“That’s a really short time frame,” said Simmons. “That’s not really giving anyone an opportunity. They don’t advertise it.”

The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs encourages anyone needing rental assistance to contact 2-1-1 for information on organizations helping with utility assistance.

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