KUTV: Struggling to pay rent or your mortgage? Salt Lake City set aside $1.1 million to help
McKenzie Stauffer | Wednesday, September 2nd 2020
An additional $1.1 million was allocated to existing community housing programs to help residents who are struggling to pay rent during the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo: KUTV)
SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — An additional $1.1 million was allocated to existing community housing programs to help residents who are struggling to pay rent during the coronavirus pandemic.
“Salt Lake City is committed to dedicating as much as we can to efforts that benefit families still struggling from job loss or income instability -- especially those who have yet to receive federal stimulus dollars,” Mayor Erin Mendenhall, stated in a press release.
Housing is of course a top priority, and we’re glad we were able to allocate more funding to help transition individuals experiencing homelessness into permanent housing, and also help those struggling to pay their rent or mortgage.
The funds will be allocated to three community partner programs focused on specific needs:
Rapid re-housing
Rental assistance
Mortgage assistance
The housing funding is in addition to other efforts the City has undertaken to offset financial impacts of the pandemic, including
$1 million to the Emergency Loan Program for Business early in the pandemic
Proposed $1.6 million to expand Youth and Family Services programs
Expanded efforts to address digital equity
Tip your Server partnership with Downtown Alliance
5-month-long Temporary Suspension of Paid Parking Meters
#RaiseUpSLC a fundraising effort focused on providing $500 debit cards to residents in need through the Accelerator for America non-profit organization.
“Many Americans are one paycheck away from homelessness, and this issue disproportionately affects our communities of color,” Lani Eggertsen-Goff, Director of the City’s Housing and Neighborhood Development Division, stated in a press release. “Each year, the City budgets millions of dollars to housing, but this year the need has grown significantly."
This additional funding will make a big difference in the lives of individuals and families.
This announcement came before the Trump administration issued a directive Tuesday halting the eviction of certain renters through the end of 2020.
Federal, state and local governments have approved eviction moratoriums but those protections are expiring rapidly.
Renters covered through the executive order must meet four criteria. They must:
Have an income of $198,000 or less for couples filing jointly, or $99,000 for single filers.
Demonstrate they have sought government assistance to make their rental payments.
Affirmatively declare they are unable to pay rent because of COVID-19 hardships.
Affirm they are likely to become homeless if they are evicted.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention followed up by declaring that any landlord can not evict any "covered person" from any residential property for failure to pay rent.
Local agencies have translation services available to ensure language barriers are not an obstacle to obtaining services.
Rapid re-housing (for individuals or households 50% AMI, experiencing homelessness)
The Road Home, (801) 359-4142
Rental assistance (for individuals or households 60% AMI, facing evictions)
Asian Association of Utah, (801) 467-6060
Catholic Community Services, (801) 363-7710
Utah Community Action, (801) 359-2444
Mortgage assistance (grant for 60 % AMI or below or forgivable loans above 60 % AMI, for households facing foreclosure)
Community Development Corporation of Utah, (801) 994-7222
NeighborWorks Salt Lake, (801) 539-1590
Read the full article here.