What is the new Disaster Housing Assistance Program (DHAP)?
DHAP is a program from the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) that helps families who were in Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The DHAP program will replace the existing FEMA rental-assistance program. If FEMA is currently paying your rent, or part of your rent, it will stop doing so. In its place, the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development will start paying your rent under the DHAP program

How do I sign up for the DHAP program?
If you are currently enrolled in the FEMA rental-assistance program, you do not have to go through a new application and approval process – the transition to the DHAP program will be done automatically. Landlords who become part of the program will ask you to sign an addendum to your current lease, which will show that you and your landlord have agreed to the terms of the new program. You and your landlord will need to do this by December 1, 2007.

What if my landlord does not want to participate in the new DHAP program?
HUD believes that most landlords who participate in the FEMA program will want to continue with the new DHAP program. If your landlord chooses not to participate, then you cannot continue to live at your residence and still have your rent paid through the program (after December 1, 2007). You will have to find an apartment residence that participates in the DHAP program or you will not have your rent paid for you. The DHAP Center staff has plans to provide assistance, if needed, to help you to find a place to relocate so that you will not lose your rent benefit. However, it is ultimately your responsibility to find a place to relocate.

What is the most important change to expect with this program?
A big difference is that you will get more than just rent payments – you will also get the help of a case manager, which is a required part of the program. Beginning in September, he or she can provide your family with many services. For example, your case manager can assist you with finding a job, receiving job training and education, as well as securing health care and many other services. The idea is to provide you with the necessary services to help you get back to a fully independent life.

When does the program start?
The program change from FEMA to HUD begins on September 1. More importantly, you will need to have your lease addendum signed by December 1, 2007. That is when a local public housing authority will begin making the rent payments to your landlord. Until then, the FEMA contractor, CLC, will continue to make your rent payments.

When does the program end and what happens after that?
The DHAP program will pay your full rent benefits through February 2008. Starting in March 2008, you will have to pay $50 of your total monthly rent payment directly to the landlord out of your own pocket. The amount that you pay directly to the landlord will increase by $50 each month after that. So, you can expect to pay $100 in April 2008, then $150 in May 2008, and so on, until the end of the program in March 2009.

What if I can’t pay my share of the rent after March 2008?
Under the terms and conditions of the DHAP program, HUD and its contractor can disqualify you from the program if you do not fulfill your responsibilities under the program. This includes paying your share of the rent. If you break the terms of your lease with the landlord or do not pay your rent on time, your landlord may start an eviction action against you.

Will HUD be handling the DHAP program locally?
HUD will oversee the program and will contract the local rent payment responsibilities to a public housing authority. The Harris County Housing Authority is one of the assigned PHA's to administer the program within Harris County and a few other Texas counties, but FEMA will still be the agency to decide who is eligible for the program.

I may need to relocate to find work or to return to Harris County: Can I stay in the program if I have to move?
HUD will allow families to move only one time outside of Harris County and the rent benefits will be transferred to the HUD contractor in the new area. Families can move within the Harris County area, as long as their new landlord participates in the program.