MURFREESBORO TENN. (WTVF) — Emergency rent relief meant to be a blessing has become a burden. Some tenants who fell on hard times due to COVID-19 are still waiting on the promised funds, but many are getting evicted while they wait.
NewsChannel 5's Alexandra Koehn has been following the problem for months.
American Rescue Plan money was distributed to states for various programs like COVID-19 emergency rent relief.
Renter Tivona Patton said, “I had to file bankruptcy last year, so that’s what has set me back.”
She's still waiting on the funding after applying for it. Patton said, “It’s not rescuing you, it’s like it’s sinking you— the ship is sinking.”
The Tennessee Housing Development Agency hired contractor, Horne, to disburse payments to landlords and renters.
Patton said, “I applied back in October of last year.”
She was approved months later. "That was in March, here it is May 9th, we still have not received the payment,” Patton said.
Tivona's landlord showed her where it said the first check was on the way. "Called all over the place, and I’ve called every number there is online to call— nobody could track this check."
Other renters at her complex are in the same boat. “My lease is up in June, and they’re still waiting on this payment, and they’ve been very helpful in working with me, so I appreciate them for that,” Patton said.
Recently, THDA said they had a meeting with Horne's managing partners about the problems. It's unclear how that went. Patton said, "It’s like they don’t care about these families suffering from they rent payments."
Taxpayers are paying Horne more than $25 million to handle the money according to a memorandum. "I just want to know where the money’s going?” Patton said, “Who’s getting the money?"
Tivona has spent hours on the phone trying to trouble shoot.
We called and emailed a couple of Horne's THDA liaisons and did not hear back.
As of May 10, Tivona’s landlord has informed her the emergency rent relief money arrived after she applied for it in October.
