News Flash

The City of Killeen is offering rental and mortgage assistance to Killeen residents financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. An online application system will open January 20 at 9 a.m.  

Qualified applicants must be Killeen residents, must have experienced a negative financial impact on household income resulting from COVID-19 and must not have received previous rental assistance from the City of Killeen. There are maximum income levels based on household size. Funding is limited and will be granted on a first come, first served basis. 

Funding for this program is made available through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, and all applications are subject to program regulatory and statutory guidance from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Short-term emergency rental and mortgage assistance is to address housing instability directly related to loss of income due to COVID-19. The City of Killeen is not obligated to fund a submitted application. All application considerations are subject to available funds. 

The maximum assistance that may be offered is the lesser of $4,000 or six months of rent or mortgage and is based on individual need. Over-subsidizing is prohibited by federal regulation. Payments will be made directly to landlords, property managers or mortgage servicers who must agree to participate in this assistance program before payment is issued.  

Eligibility Overview:

• Household income must have been negatively (financially) impacted by COVID-19.
• Lease agreements must have been executed prior to April 1, 2020.
• Mortgage loans must have been executed prior to January 1, 2020.
• Seller financed homeowner purchases, purchases between related persons are not eligible for this assistance.
• Mortgage or rent payments cannot be in delinquent prior to March 31, 2020.
• Payments will be made directly to landlord, property manager or mortgage servicer/company.
• Total assistance will not exceed the lesser of $4,000 or up to six months of assistance.
• The applicant must reside in the housing unit within the corporate city limits of Killeen.
• Applicants with a Section 8 voucher or other housing voucher (i.e., VASH, Mainstream, Rapid Re-Housing) are not eligible or this assistance.
• Landlord/Property Manager/Mortgage Servicer must agree to participate within program policies.
• Gross annual income from all sources for all household members must be less than 80% of the area median income as established by HUD.
• Mortgage assistance may not be provided to owners who have executed a Forbearance Agreement with the mortgage servicer that is federally backed or insured. 

All applications must be submitted through the online applications portal located at www.KilleenTexas.gov/CARESPrograms. Applicants will click the Neighborly Software – Killeen Participant Portal link and register by entering an active email address and creating a unique password. Once registered, a new application can be submitted. A case number will be assigned which applicants can use to track the status of an application throughout the process.  

The applications portal will be available 24 hours per day beginning January 20 at 9 a.m. Completed applications will be processed in the order they are received.  

Reasonable accommodations will be made for persons with disabilities and for persons wishing to apply but without internet access or otherwise unable to connect to the online portal. To request a reasonable accommodation, for assistance connecting to the online portal or for persons with limited English proficiency, call 254-501-7845 or 254-501-7843 (hablo espanol) to request an appointment with Community Development staff. Appointments are available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Applicants must bring all required documentation to the scheduled appointment in order to complete the application within the time allotted.