Evictions are on the rise in North Texas
NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Evictions are up across North Texas and it comes at a time when local rental assistance programs are running out of money.
One apartment complex in Oak Cliff has had 73 evictions filed in the past three months alone.
A combination of higher rents and fewer affordable options are putting a serious drain on assistance programs.
When one of her sons was diagnosed with diabetes earlier this year, Zelma Kelley saw her rent go up by 20%.
She says she was desperate for financial help.
"It increased due to inflation," Kelley said. "I was paying $1,081, it went up to $1,231. So it's been a struggle, I'm a single parent, so I was just trying to find out how to get any kind of assistance."
The single mother got that assistance through a Dallas County program to help people avoid evictions.
"I'm only getting three months worth of assistance, so again it's helpful, I'm grateful," Kelley said.
But the federal fund that has helped Kelley and 5,000 other Dallas County residents stay in their homes since the pandemic is drying up.
"We haven't run out of money but funds are limited ," said Christian Grisales with Dallas County Health and Human Services.
The county is reviewing eligibility now every three months in case there's no money available.
A similar program offered by the City of Dallas reportedly had to shutdown.
"It's concerning because it means some people are not going to be able to pay their rent, some people are going to be evicted from their property," Grisales said. "We don't want to see that happen but unfortunately if we run out of money, if the grant money we received for the CARES Act is running out, that means some people might be able to receive that money."
Most apartment complexes that have seen the most evictions since the summer are in Northeast Dallas or the southern side of downtown.
"I try not to worry to be honest, I try not to be worried," Kelley said.
Kelley knows there could be a day soon when she has nowhere to turn.
"I won't be able to pay my rent, there's nothing I can do, go through an eviction notice and try to find another place to stay," she said.
To make the situation worse, the county says some landlords don't accept rental assistance, which they legally can refuse.
