CARES ACT

Certain properties are covered by the CARES Act. This law requires landlords at these properties to provide a 30-day notice to vacate to tenants prior to filing an eviction.

Properties "covered" by the CARES Act include include properties that participate in housing programs such as public housing, Housing Choice Vouchers, Project-Based Section 8, and the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC). It also includes properties with federally-backed mortgages, including mortgages backed by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the government-sponsored enterprises known as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

There are a few places you can search to see if a multifamily property is covered by the CARES Act:

  • For properties holding a federally-backed mortgage:

    • Fannie Mae mortgages can be searched here.

    • Freddie Mac mortgages can be searched here. (Tip: It’s best to search by zip code)

    • FHA-insured mortgages can be searched here.

  • A full list of Low Income Housing Tax Credit in Texas can be found here.

If you see the property you live at in the above databases, you can confirm with your landlord using this template letter.

Smaller properties (with 4 or fewer units) may not appear in the above databases. If you live in a smaller property, you can use this template letter to ask your landlord to confirm in writing whether or not the property is covered by the CARES Act.