Austin Emergency Rent Help 2026–27: After I Belong in Austin Closed
Updated: 16 hours ago
I Belong in Austin is closed for good. Here is what replaced it, where limited rent money still exists, and how to build a plan when no single program covers your balance.
AT A GLANCE
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For five years, the first answer to "Where do I get rent help in Austin?" was I Belong in Austin, the city's emergency rental assistance portal. That answer has changed. The City of Austin says the portal closed indefinitely after its final April 1–7, 2026 application period and will not reopen.
This guide explains what replaced it, where limited rent money still exists, and how to put together a plan when no single program can cover your whole balance.
What Happened to I Belong in Austin
On its Rental Assistance page, Austin Housing says:
The I Belong in Austin portal closed indefinitely after the April 1–7, 2026 application period, following a reduction in the city's overall funding.
The portal did not reopen on May 1, 2026 and remains closed indefinitely.
The remaining money has been redirected to legal advocacy and negotiated eviction settlements. The city says this lets it focus on households facing the most immediate threat of losing their homes.
Renters who were already receiving assistance or working with legal partners will be contacted directly.
What this means in practice: the city's largest rent program now pays mainly through eviction cases handled by legal partners. If you are facing eviction, a free lawyer may be the way to reach that money. The city points renters facing eviction to Texas RioGrande Legal Aid and Volunteer Legal Services.
The city reports that between June 2021 and April 2026 the program distributed over $16 million to over 3,100 households facing eviction.
If you are facing eviction, a free lawyer may be the way to reach the city's remaining rent money.
Where Rent Money Still Exists
Source | What it covers | Status on the official page | How to reach it |
|---|---|---|---|
Austin Public Health Neighborhood Services Unit | Rent and Austin Energy bills | Limited funds | Rent and Utility line, 512-972-5780 |
I Belong in Austin (through legal partners) | Negotiated eviction settlements | Application portal closed | Through Texas RioGrande Legal Aid or Volunteer Legal Services |
Travis County Health and Human Services | Utilities and other help | Very limited utility funding | Travis County Apply for Assistance page |
Texas 211 | Referrals to local programs | Open 24/7 | Dial 211 or 877-541-7905 |
Option 1: The Neighborhood Services Rent and Utility Line
Austin Public Health's Neighborhood Services Unit says it has limited funds for rent and Austin Energy assistance.
How to ask: call the Rent and Utility line at 512-972-5780. The city says it no longer accepts walk-in requests for rent or Austin Energy help at neighborhood centers. All requests have to go through the phone line.
Requirements the city lists
You must live in Austin or Travis County.
You must be a renter with your name on the lease or rental contract.
The rent or utility bill must be past due. The city will not help with a bill that is not yet late.
Your household income must be at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Income Guidelines for the past 30 days, and you must document it.
You must show proof of a recent crisis or financial trouble. The city's examples include losing a job or having your hours cut, medical bills or illness, new family or household members, and funeral expenses.
Income proof the city accepts
Pay stubs for the past 30 days. If you're paid weekly, that means your last five stubs. If you're paid twice a month, your last two.
A letter from your employer with contact information and the amounts paid on specific dates
A current-year Social Security Administration letter showing your monthly payment
Unemployment documentation
Child support documentation from the Attorney General's office
Current pension statements
Tips for the call
Have everything ready before you dial: your lease, a past-due rent notice or ledger, 30 days of income proof and your crisis documents.
Call early in the day. Neighborhood centers are open Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed 12 to 12:30 p.m. for lunch), and Friday, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. The city does not list separate hours for the phone line.
Ask about Austin Energy too. The unit covers both rent and Austin Energy bills, and either kind of help frees up money.
Other help at neighborhood centers
The centers also offer a food pantry, bus passes, help filling out forms and applications, help applying for other benefits, and referrals. The city lists these locations:
Dove Springs, 5811 Palo Blanco Lane, 512-972-6699
Rosewood-Zaragosa, 2800 Webberville Road, 512-972-6740
St. John, 7500 Blessing Avenue, 512-972-5159
East Austin, 211 Comal Street, 512-972-6650
Montopolis, 1200 Montopolis Drive, 512-972-6705
Blackland, 2005 Salina Street, 512-972-5790
South Austin, 2508 Durwood Street, 512-972-6840. This center is currently closed for building repairs. The city says it reopens in 2026.
Option 2: Free Legal Help If You're Facing Eviction
Because I Belong in Austin now pays negotiated eviction settlements through legal partners, getting a lawyer early matters more than it used to. The city's page directs renters facing eviction to:
Texas RioGrande Legal Aid (TRLA), which you can contact through trla.org.
Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas.
Contact one of them as soon as you receive a notice to vacate or court papers, not on the morning of your hearing. See our Austin eviction guide below for how the Travis County Justice of the Peace process works.
Option 3: Travis County Health and Human Services
Travis County's Apply for Assistance page lists help with food pantries, utilities, home repair, weatherization, social work and burial services. Its public notices say:
Travis County currently has very limited funding for utilities assistance and no special funding for disconnections, but residents are still welcome to apply. The county also suggests calling 211.
The county's social work and supportive case management program is at capacity and not taking new referrals. The county says you can reapply in January 2027.
Travis County does not list a dedicated rent program on that page. Its utility help can still ease the pressure on your rent.
Option 4: Texas 211
The City of Austin says Texas 211 is a free social service hotline available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Dial 211 or 877-541-7905. Ask specifically for "rent assistance in Travis County" and for any eviction-prevention funds that are open right now. Programs run by charities and churches open and close often, and 211 keeps track of them.
If You Are Turned Away or Denied
The city's pages do not describe a formal appeal process for Neighborhood Services rent help. Here is what you can do:
Ask why. Common reasons are a bill that isn't past due yet, a name missing from the lease, missing income proof or no documented crisis.
Fix the problem and call again. For example, once the bill is past due, or once you have the right pay stubs.
Ask whether funds have run out and when they might be replenished. The city describes its funds as limited.
If eviction is moving forward, a legal aid lawyer may be able to negotiate a settlement that the city's legal partners can fund.
WHAT TO DO THIS WEEK
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More help in Austin
See every FSR guide for Austin in one place on our Austin Financial Help Guides hub.
Related guides
Official sources
Funding changes quickly. Before you act, confirm with the Rent and Utility line at 512-972-5780.
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