The City of Austin has extended the application deadline to May 1, 2020 for area nonprofits to apply for $750,000 over three years to develop Tenant Stabilization Services, such as rental assistance and eviction prevention, for Austinites at risk of displacement due to rising housing costs.

The Tenant Stabilization Service is one of several new Displacement Prevention initiatives, initially announced in March, that will be managed by the Austin Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC) and funded by the City’s Housing Trust Fund (HTF).  The initiatives will provide a multi-faceted approach to supporting individuals and providing opportunities for community groups in efforts to address the issues of gentrification and displacement.

The AHFC extended the deadline to May 1 given the number of eligible nonprofit organizations that are having to adapt their operations and services amid the COVID-19 pandemic.  Besides extending the deadline for applications, AHFC also is asking that applications to the Tenant Stabilization Service be submitted by postal mail.

Tenant Stabilization Program Applicant Eligibility

To be considered eligible for the Tenant Stabilization Services funding, applicants must:

1. Apply in partnership (two or more organizations applying together),

2. Be non-profit organizations with a 501(c)3 status,

For the COMPLETE LIST of program eligibility and requirements, please review the Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) and the complete Application. AHFC reserves the right to waive any minor informality in any application or solicitation procedure (a minor informality being one that does not affect the competitiveness of the application).

To be considered, applications must be complete, contain all the required documentation and meet the criteria as stated in the NOFA and Application (including scoring criteria).

SEALED APPLICATIONS MUST BE POSTMARKED BY FRIDAY, MAY 1, 2020. Mail completed applications to AHFC, Attn: Alan Fish, P.O. Box 1088, Austin, TX 78767.  Applicants shall submit one (1) original signed application and one (1) flash drive USB of the complete application and all supporting documents.

Questions may be directed to Alan Fish at 512-974-3188 or by e-mail at alan.fish@austintexas.gov

In the coming months, more Displacement Prevention initiatives that support individuals will be announced, including an online search tool for income-restricted housing, a public education campaign for homeowners dealing with aggressive house flippers, a pilot Preference Policy program to help families return to former neighborhoods, and a geographically-focused home repair initiative for households at risk of displacement.