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Flex Fund

About the Flex Fund

Additional Information & Updates

Submit a flex fund request

Please Note:

  • One request per submission. If your client needs two payments, they must be in separate requests.
  • All documents are required for submission. If you are unsure what is required for your type of request, please see the FAQ below.
  • Check Pick Up: Tuesday and Thursdays from 11am-3pm

Requests may take up to 3-5 business days to process.

Form Tutorial

Request Form Features:

  • Custom questions and requirements for your specific type of request
  • Increased security for survivors of domestic violence
  • Streamlined submission process – no logging in!

Frequently Asked Questions

Please contact us for questions or more information if you cannot find what you need in the FAQ below: flexfunds@housingforwardntx.org

Purpose

The Flex Fund is simple. A minor but impactful expenditure impedes a client from ending (or making progress in ending) their homelessness. The Flex Fund exists to pay for those one time fees/needs. While it is not the primary monetary solution to ending homelessness in our continuum, it is a funding source for singular bills that stand in between clients and housing.

History & Additional Information

Watch this incredible explanation of the Flex Fund by David Gruber, Housing Forward’s Senior Development and Communications Director. You can also view the Companion PowerPoint to this video.

General Requests 

The categories in this section are request types available to any client meeting the criteria for Flex Fund assistance. You will find the list of required documentation under each request type.

Application Fee*

  • Invoice
  • W-9

Security Deposit*

  • Invoice
  • W-9

Admin Fee*

  • Invoice
  • W-9

Risk Fee*

  • Invoice
  • W-9

Utility Deposit/Arrears

  • Invoice
  • W-9

Rental Arrears (back-pay rent)

  • Invoice
  • W-9

Government/State ID/DL

  • Receipt/screenshot to verify amount paid by the agency

  • NOTE: Housing Forward is no longer able to process online payments for Government and State ID’s and/or Birth Certificates due to security questions that must be answered on behalf of the client. Housing Forward is able to reimburse agencies for the cost of IDs and Birth Certificates via Agency Reimbursement ONLY.

Birth Certificate

  • Receipt/screenshot to verify amount paid by the agency

  • NOTE: Housing Forward is no longer able to process online payments for Government and State ID’s and/or Birth Certificates due to security questions that must be answered on behalf of the client. Housing Forward is able to reimburse agencies for the cost of IDs and Birth Certificates via Agency Reimbursement ONLY.

Dallas Furniture Bank

  • Signed lease
  • Housing Forward will pay up to $250 for furniture assistance per client, with an additional $100 allowed per household member on the lease. Any cost exceeding these limits will need to be covered by the client or requesting agency.

DRTRR Specific Requests 

DRTRR clients have access to the categories of assistance below, in addition to all general assistance types. Funds were specifically raised for these items with the DRTRR initiative.

Furniture (DRTRR specific)

  • Signed lease required

Renter’s Insurance (DRTRR specific)

  • Invoice
  • W-9

Move In Kits (DRTRR specific)

  • Signed lease required

Landlord Incentives (DRTRR specific)

  • Invoice
  • W-9

Landlord Incentives can include the following types of requests:

  • New Owner Lease-Signing Bonus: One-time payment of up to $1000 for new landlords/owners who agree to participate in the program and has not rented to a program participant in the past 12 months
  • Unit Hold Fee: Nonrefundable deposit to Landlord for up to the cost of one month’s rent to offset financial loss due to unit vacancy while awaiting initial inspection
  • Move-in Fees: Direct payments to accelerate the lease-up process and remove barriers to lease signing to include risk mitigation payments directly to Landlords or increased security deposits.
    • This would include
      • Risk Mitigation
      • Application
      • Admin
      • Deposits
      • Past debt to LL’s
      • Utility deposits

There are 4 criteria for a client to be eligible to receive Flex Fund assistance:

  1. Client must have a current active enrollment in HMIS.
    • NOTE: Survivors of domestic violence do not have to be in HMIS, but the agency must be a CoC member.
  2. Client must be receiving active case management.
  3. The agency providing the case management and submitting the flex fund request is a member of the CoC.
  4. The request ends (or makes progress in ending) the client’s homelessness.

Clients are eligible for up to $750 per annuum (per year) in assistance. See “What if my request is over the maximum allowable amount per client?” for more information.

There are 3 payment options available under the “Form of Payment” section of the form: 

  1. Paper Check
    • Delivery options include:
      • U.S. Mail
      • Pick up at Housing Forward’s offices
    • A Housing Forward team member will contact you when the check is available or has been mailed.
  2. Online Payment
    • Housing Forward will need to contact you to process online payments on behalf of your client. Please ensure you are able to log into the necessary online portal for processing payment.
  3. Agency Reimbursement*
    • This option is available when a client needs a quicker turnaround than a typical payment can provide, but it requires prior approval. See “Can I be reimbursed for a client’s expense using Flex Fund assistance?” for more information.

Yes, agency reimbursement is an option for payment. However, there are some guidelines around this payment type. 

  • Agency reimbursement requires prior approval by Housing Forward. If you need to submit an agency reimbursement, please select “Agency Reimbursement” as the “Form of Payment” when completing the Flex Fund request.
  • Invoices of cost will still be needed.
  • For agency reimbursement, the agency is the payee. The W-9 will be specific to the agency requesting reimbursement. 
  • These requests should be submitted as soon as possible to allow for processing time. A typical agency reimbursement will take 2-3 business days to process.
  • Housing Forward will send an approval email, after which a receipt of payment and/or canceled check from the agency will be required before a check is approved for reimbursement.

A typical Flex Fund request takes 3-5 business days to approve and process, from request submission to payment. Agency reimbursement may take 2-3 business days. Please allow as much time as possible for processing by submitting your request as soon as you are able.

If a client needs immediate payment, Agency Reimbursement is option for payment that allows your agency to meet the immediate need and then be reimbursed through the Flex Fund. Please see “Can I be reimbursed for a client’s expense using Flex Fund assistance?” for more information.

In most cases, the client’s case manager will submit the request.

To understand who is eligible to receive Flex Fund assistance, please see “What are the criteria for a client to be eligible for Flex Fund assistance?”

Housing Forward will review these requests on a case-by-case basis and approve or deny the request as necessary. 

No, not at this time. For reporting and processing purposes, please submit each request individually. 

If you’ve requested a paper check, you will be able to select if you want the check mailed or if you want to pick it up. A Housing Forward staff member will reach out to you when the check is ready to be picked up.

Good question! A payee is a person to whom money is paid or is to be paid, especially the person to whom a check is made payable. For example, if ABC Apartments is the one the check needs to go to, ABC Apartments is the payee

Remember, if you are requesting an agency reimbursement, the payee will be your agency.

Good question! A W-9 is a tax form that provides us with the correct Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) for the payee. We need this information on record any time we process a payment to a third-party or outside vendor.

An example of a W-9 can be found here: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw9.pdf

The payee should be able to provide you (or your client) with an invoice. The amount on the invoice should reflect the amount being requested.