Commissioners receive update on Emergency Rental Assistance Program

Sierra Martin | Managing Editor

HAYS COUNTY — On Tuesday, March 22, 2022, the Hays County Commissioners Court met to receive an update on the COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) Program since the new program manager has taken over.

The Director of Countywide Operations, Tammy Crumley, provided an update on the progress being made in the ERA Program. Previously the county has lost around $2.5 million of the COVID-19 ERA Grant funding due to program mismanagement. 

According to Crumley, as of last Thursday, the county has spent $1,943,676.73 of the ERA funding provided by the U.S. Treasury Department. At the last update provided to the court on March 8, 2022, around $1.5 million had been dispursed. 

On February 15, 2022, the Commissioners Court awarded a contract to the Ardurra Group, Inc. to serve as the ERA Program Manager.

“Adura took over the program on March 10 and met with our staff,” said Crumley. “We have not been able to hire any additional staff and we are still working on that. We have about the same number of applications that we had last time.”

Crumley said there are about 400 applications, with approximately 140 pending citizen completion. 45 applications are currently under auditor review and 190 under case management review.

Crumley said that since initially posting the job to work with the ERA Program in July of last year, only three applications had been submitted. None of which resulted in hiring an employee.

Commissioner Walt Smith said he thinks the court has stepped up quickly to address the initial issues with the ERA Program after the previous case manager resigned on Jan. 10, 2022. 

“By going in the direction that we went with and judging from the numbers we have seen since January 10, we are assisting many more residents out there with the work that both our current employees are doing and hopefully outside contractor are doing,” said Smith.

Commissioners also adopted a proclamation declaring March 24, 2022, as World TB Day in Hays County to bring awareness to those diagnosed with Micro Bacterium Tuberculosis. Additionally, a proclamation was adopted declaring April 4 to April 10, 2022, as National Public Health Week.

The full video of the March 22 Hays County Commissioners Court meeting can be found on their website. More information on the Emergency Rental Assistance Program and how to apply can be found here. 

Related Articles:

• Hays County loses an additional $1.7M in Emergency Rental Assistance
• Hays County loses nearly 800K in Emergency Rental Assistance due to poor program management
• After $2.5M loss, Hays County approves new Emergency Rental Assistance Program Manager

• Commissioners Court meets for update on ERA program, discuss raising employee salaries