Texas Eviction Diversion Program (TEDP)

Dallas County Health and Human Services - 2377 N. Stemmons Freeway, Dallas, TX 75207
Telephone: 214-819-1968  |  E-mail:  EHAP_DCHHS@dallascounty.org

Texas Eviction Diversion Program (TEDP)
Funded Through: TDHCA - A Community Development Block Grant CARES Act (CDBG-CV) Program

TEDP is a special program/court process that allows courts to place eviction lawsuits on hold and divert them to the TEDP. Under the TEDP, lump sum payments are provided to landlords for rental arrears in exchange for allowing tenants to remain in their homes and forgiving late fees. This program is for Dallas County residents living outside of the City of Dallas economically affected (loss/reduction of income) by the spread of COVID-19. The TEDP is a voluntary program that permits eligible landlords and tenants to agree upon a resolution to the issues raised in an eviction case. If eligibility requirements are met, past due rent obligations may be eligible to be covered in full and the eviction case dismissed.

1. When a landlord files an eviction case, the landlord be required to state in the petition that he/she has reviewed the information on this website.
2. All citations (notices that a tenant has been sued for eviction) must contain the following statement in both English and Spanish and an attached copy of the "State of Texas Eviction Diversion Program" informational brochure:

If you and your landlord agree to participate in the Texas Eviction Diversion Program, you may be able to have up to 6 months of the rent you owe paid and stop your eviction. At your trial, the court will notify you about the Program and ask if you are interested in participating.  Find out more about the Program in the attached brochure.

On the date listed in the citation for the trial of the eviction case, the judge must discuss this program with the landlord and tenant and ask whether the landlord and tenant are interested in the program. If both the landlord and tenant indicate they are interested in the program, the judge is required to delay the proceedings for 60 days, make the records and information on the eviction case confidential, and inform the landlord and tenant about the reinstatement procedure discussed below.

At any time during the 60-day delay period, the landlord can file a motion to reinstate the eviction case with the judge. The motion must be served on the tenant. The judge is then required to reinstate the eviction case, set it for trial within 21 days, inform the parties how to proceed, and make the records and information non-confidential. 

If the landlord does not file a motion to reinstate the eviction case during the delay period, the judge is required to dismiss the case with prejudice. All records and information will remain confidential.  

The highlights of the program are:

• Participants are eligible rental tenants and their landlords
• Tenant must have been sued for eviction – the TEDP process is started by the court system
• Program provides up to 6 months in total of rental assistance o Up to 5 months past due and at least one month of rent going forward. If fewer than 5 months are in arrears, the remainder may be used for subsequent months of assistance
• Program participation puts the eviction process on hold and diverts it from the court system to TEDP; through participation in the program, the eviction case will be dismissed and made confidential from public disclosure, protecting the tenant from future repercussions
• Landlords receive a lump sum payment for arrears and/or future payments via direct deposit
• The maximum amount of rent the program will pay is set at 120% of the Small Area Fair Market Rent (SAFMR), or where no SAFMR exists, the Fair Market Rent (FMR).
• The maximum amount of contract rent for the unit cannot exceed 150% of the SAFMR, or where no SAFMR exists, the FMR. If a unit’s contract rent exceeds this amount, the unit and household are not eligible for assistance under the program.
• If a tenant’s unit rent falls between 120% and 150% of the applicable SAFMR or FMR, the program will still be able to assist the tenant, however, the tenant must pay the amount of arrears in excess of the 120% limit, or be in a payment plan executed by both the tenant and the landlord, before the program will pay the 120% contribution.

Please note submission of a pre-screening application does not guarantee eligibility or an offer of assistance. Assistance subject to funding availability.

Eligibility Requirements

* Tenant/Household Area Median Income (AMI) Chart

FY 2020 Income Limit Area	Median Family Income	FY 2020 Income Limit Category	1 person	2 person	3 person	4 person	5 person	6 person	7 person	8 person
Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area	$86,200	Low (80%) Income Limits ($)	48,300	55,200	62,100	68,950	74,500	80,000	85,500	91,050

Tenant/Household Eligibility Test:  To be eligible for the TEDP a household’s income must be below 200% of poverty noted below.

Federal Poverty Table:

Household Size	200% Poverty
1 Person	$25,520
2 Person	$34,480
3 Person	$43,440
4 Person	$52,400
5 Person	$61,360
6 Person	$70,320
7 Person	$79,280
8 Person	$88,240

For households with more than 8 persons, add $8,960 for each additional person.

Please note applicants who qualify will be required to provide current documentation (within the last 30 days) to support their claim. Please see below for the list of required documentation.

Required Documentation

**You are considered eligible, and need no other documentation, if you have evidence that you: 1) are currently receiving assistance under SNAP, SSI, LIHEAP, or Medicaid; OR 2) if you are living in a qualifying rent-restricted property and have evidence of an income certification from that property dated on or after March 31, 2020, and within 12 months of the application for assistance, and self-certify that your income remains below the limit. In some circumstances the TEDP administrator may allow self-certification of income, but the tenant must still be able to demonstrate evidence upon request.