SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane residents seeking rental assistance can now start applying for a new round of assistance.
The application portals have reopened for residents and landlords in Spokane to apply for rental assistance. Spokane recently got $5.59 million in Eviction Rent Assistance Program (ERAP 2.0) from the state Dept. of Commerce. This money can be used to pay back overdue rent from March 1, 2020, and beyond.
“This funding is keeping people in need housed while they get back on their feet as they overcome the financial hardships brought on by the pandemic,” Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward said in a written statement. “The City has worked quickly over the past year to get rental assistance out to those who need it most.”
According to city officials, Spokane has given out approximately $33 million in emergency rent and utility assistance funding since June 2021. More than 6,500 Spokane households have benefitted from the funding.
The following organizations will process applications and decide who receives funding:
- LiveStories, which accommodates all eligible city tenants and landlords
- Family Promise of Spokane, which accepts applications for eligible households with minor children
- The Carl Maxey Center, which prioritizes applications from eligible African American and BIPOC households.
To qualify for rental assistance, all applicants must meet the following criteria.
- Household income is at or below 80% of the Area Median Income
- Household is within the City of Spokane boundary
- Currently have a missed or past due rent payment not paid or partially unpaid since March 1, 2020, and still occupying the residence.
The city is encouraging those who want to apply for assistance to do so as soon as possible, as demand is high.
“The past two years have been extremely difficult for many city tenants and landlords, so this emergency funding from the state has been made available to apply for at a crucial time,” Devin Biviano, the COVID-19 Program Manager for the City’s Community, Housing and Human Services Department, said in a statement. “Unfortunately, demand for relief in the community is higher than financial supply, so applicants should apply as soon as possible with no guarantee on how long it will be before the new funds are exhausted and the application process closes.”
Applications can be submitted online via the application portal. The organizations in charge of distributing the funds will also accept paper applications.
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