San Marcos-Hays County TX Emergency Rental Assistance Program Guide

Last updated: June 26, 2026

About the Hays County Emergency Rental Assistance Program

The Hays County Commissioners Court approved and launched the COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERA) to help San Marcos residents and other county households who could not pay rent due to the pandemic. Funded by a federal grant, the program was administered by the Hays County government and was designed to benefit both tenants and landlords — preventing eviction, stabilizing rental income, and keeping households housed during the economic disruption that followed March 2020.

A notable feature of the program was its eviction protection mechanism: tenants could register and receive a receipt to present in court as proof of a pending application, which could pause or delay eviction proceedings while assistance was being processed. Landlords were encouraged to contact the ERA Program administrator for tenant fliers and to support renters in applying. This dual-access structure — similar to that used in the Harris County rental assistance program — ensured that property owners were active participants in the recovery process.

What the Hays County ERA Program Covered

The program covered three categories of housing-related expenses:

• Past-due rent: Arrears accrued on or after March 13, 2020.
• Current and future rent: Up to three months of prospective rent per assistance cycle.
• Reasonable late fees: Charges assessed on unpaid rent were also eligible for reimbursement.

Assistance was provided in three-month increments, and households could reapply after receiving one to three months of support. The cumulative maximum was 12 months total per household, counting all assistance received from March 13, 2020 onward. Utility arrears were also eligible, and past-due utility payments could be requested alongside or independently of rent assistance.

Pro Tip

If you applied for Hays County ERA and eviction proceedings were already underway, your registration receipt served as court documentation of a pending application. Even if the local ERA program is no longer active, tenants facing eviction in Texas should immediately review their alternatives to eviction — including legal aid referrals and payment plan negotiation — before any court date.

Hays County ERA Eligibility Requirements

To qualify for the Hays County ERA Program, a household had to meet all of the following criteria:

• Hays County residency: Must rent a residential unit within Hays County.
• Income at or below 80% AMI: Total household income must not exceed 80% of the Hays County Area Median Income.
• COVID-19 financial hardship: At least one household member must have qualified for unemployment benefits, experienced reduced income, incurred significant costs, or faced other financial difficulty due to or during the pandemic.
• Risk of housing instability: At least one household member must demonstrate homelessness risk or instability — such as a past-due rent or utility notice, or a formal eviction notification.

Priority Processing Order

Federal grant requirements directed Hays County to prioritize applications in the following order during the program’s initial 21-day window (beginning July 12, 2021):

• Priority 1: Applicants with past-due rent or utilities whose household income is at or below 50% AMI, OR who have a member unemployed for 90+ days before applying.
• Priority 2: After Priority 1 is cleared — applicants facing imminent eviction who meet income eligibility requirements.
• Priority 3: All remaining income-eligible applicants not facing imminent eviction, processed on a first-come, first-served basis.

Tenant Documentation Checklist for Hays County ERA

A minimum of nine documents was required to complete a Hays County ERA application. Coordinating with your landlord before applying speeds up the process significantly. Send landlord documentation questions to erap@co.hays.tx.us.

Identification

• One government-issued photo ID per adult in the household (driver’s license, passport, voter registration card, or military ID).

Income Documentation (four items required, one per category)

• Pre-COVID income: January or February 2020 bank statements or pay stubs.
• Proof of income loss due to COVID-19: March or April 2020 statements, termination letter, or other documentation of reduced or lost income.
• 2020 total income: 2020 tax return or W-2.
• Current income (two months prior to application): Bank statements or pay stubs from the two most recent months. Note: workers’ compensation income is documented separately from personal income.

Residency and Hardship

• Proof of residence and rent amount: A copy of the signed lease agreement.
• Risk of housing instability: Past-due rent notice, past-due utility notice, or formal eviction notice.
• Financial hardship certification: Either certification of unemployment benefit eligibility, or a self-certification that pandemic-related hardship caused income reduction, significant costs, or other financial difficulty.

Where to Find Rental Assistance in Hays County and Texas Now

The Hays County COVID-19 ERA program was tied to pandemic-era federal funding cycles. For residents who still need housing help, the following pathways remain relevant. The broader Texas emergency rental assistance guide covers what is currently active statewide, including the 2-1-1 Texas hotline, TDHCA resources, and county-level programs that may still have open funding rounds.

Residents in neighboring Austin and Travis County should check the Austin rental assistance program — Travis County Community Centers offer walk-in and mail-in applications for rent, mortgage, and utility assistance for qualifying residents. Renters in Waco and McLennan County can similarly explore rental assistance in Waco-McLennan County, where organizations such as Caritas of Waco and the Salvation Army continue to operate active programs.

Tenants currently facing eviction in Hays County should act immediately. In addition to applying for any available financial assistance, reviewing alternatives to eviction — including legal aid, mediation, and payment plan negotiation — is a critical parallel step before any court date is set.