The Tenant-Landlord Assistance Coalition program reopened on Wednesday, June 22, 2022 at 9:00 a.m. to new applicants and anyone who previously applied but did not receive assistance. Anyone who previously applied but has not been contacted by a TLAC agent must reapply for assistance.
PLEASE BE ADVISED: Submitting a TLAC application does not guarantee assistance will be provided. Applications must be reviewed for proper qualification to receive assistance and financial assistance offered by the TLAC program will expire when DeKalb County’s Emergency Rental Assistance grant funds are exhausted. Accordingly, filing an application does not change the applicant’s obligations in pending Court cases or any other matters. TLAC will process applications and provide the available assistance to qualified applicants as quickly as possible.
(haga clic arriba para obtener mas informacion)
What is the Tenant-Landlord Assistance Coalition (TLAC)?
On February 9, 2021, DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond announced receipt of a $21 million grant from the Federal Emergency Rental Assistance program. CEO Thurmond convened a Tenant-Landlord Assistance Coalition comprised of public and nonprofit partners. The coalition will provide financial relief to DeKalb renters threatened by eviction and landlords facing revenue losses—both due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
See Flyer: TLAC Info Flyer 8/3/22
Who is Eligible?
The program is designed to assist eligible families that have an annual family income of 80 percent of the median income for DeKalb County. Annual family income limits are:
- Family of one: $46,350
- Family of two: $52,950
- Family of three: $59,550
- Family of four: $66,150
What items are covered?
The TLAC rent relief program will provide financial assistance to eligible households for the payment of rent, rent arrearage, utilities, utility arrearage and other housing costs incurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
What is not included?
The TLAC rent relief program funds cannot be used for the payment of cable or telephone bills.
TLAC is not for the payment of mortgage assistance. For information on mortgage assistance you can contact:
https://www.dca.ga.gov/safe-affordable-housing/homeownership/georgia-mortgage-assistance-program
Check the website to verify if there is an existing Open case located on DeKalb County Portal.
If you locate an Open case in the system, you can check view the Events to see the status of your TLAC Application.
Applications and supporting documents are reviewed in the order in which they are received. Your application includes detailed instruction on what documents are required based on your individual answers to each question. During the review process, the information provided will be evaluated to determine if the applicant meets the requirements for participation in the Tenant Landlord Assistance Coalition (TLAC) program. Each applicant package is reviewed individually and therefore due to the overwhelming response it may take anywhere from several days to a few weeks before receiving an update on the status of your application. Once this initial review is complete, you will be notified of the status of your application by email along with what to expect next. In the event your application is incomplete or if the required supporting documents were not provided, you will be notified of the need for additional information. Incomplete applications will result in processing delays and your application status will remain pending without further consideration for participation until all requirements are met.
Upon approval for participation in the program, your application package was forwarded to either DeKalb Dispute Resolution Center or Atlanta Legal Aid. The email you received informing you of your updated status reflects the agency you should expect to hear from next. The decision on which agency to forward your application to was determined by information contained in your application or other factors from a current pending dispossessory legal action in DeKalb County, if applicable. During this time, you or your attorney will be contacted by the applicable agency in an effort to reach an agreement. The time it may take to be contacted and reach the next step in the process is determined by how many applicants are ahead of you, capacity of available resources, and complexity of each negotiation.
The negotiation process that you and/or your attorney participated in either did or did not result in an agreement being reached. The outcome of the negotiation is now going to a judge to formalize. The document produced will be an order and will outline the final amount of financial assistance to be distributed and the approved recipient(s) of those funds.
The judge has signed off on the order outlining the negotiation outcome. You will receive a copy of the order by email. The terms of the order will be shared with Goodwill of North Georgia for the purposes of distributing grant funds.
If you do not locate an Open case in the system, begin the application process on eFileGA
For assistance please follow the instructions below:
To Apply, you must complete a Tenant or Landlord Application and submit it and the relevant supporting documents to be considered for the program.
Information / Documents that must be included with your application. Your application cannot proceed without all required information/documentation.
Tenant Checklist (The tenant must still be a resident in the location to qualify)
What must you provide with your application?
- Contact information that includes email and phone number
- Wage Statement or signed declaration (Example:W-2 form, Tax Return, Income Declaration, Unemployment Documentation)
- Copy of the Lease Agreement
- Magistrate Court Notice (If applicable) (Example: Dispossessory Warrant/Eviction Warrant)
- Past Due Utility Notice(s) (If applicable)
- Any other documentation that indicates risk of homelessness
Landlord Checklist (The tenant must still be a resident in the location to receive benefits)
What must you provide with your application?
- Contact information that includes email and phone number
- Lease Agreement
- Documentation of Payments ( Example: Payment Ledger, Itemized Statement, Proof of Money Owed from Tenant)
- Magistrate Court Notice ( Example: Warrant/Eviction Warrant)
- Tenant Utility Bills Issued (If applicable)
- Documentation of Rental Assistance Subsidy
References
If your question(s) or concern(s) was/were not resolved and/or you still are uncertain of how to complete the application, you may consult the DeKalb County Landlord Tenant Coalition by:
- Email renthelp@dekalbcountyga.gov
- Call (404) 371-3201 (For English and Spanish speaking applicants)