PROVIDENCE – Gov. Gina M. Raimondo over the weekend released more details on a low-income rental assistance program that will be funded with $1.5 million, potentially through federal aid related to state COVID-19 impacts.
The emergency rental assistance program is intended to help individuals and families who are on the verge of being homeless, and who have been directly impacted by the new coronavirus, such as through a layoff.
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Qualification for the program is tied to area median income, which differs by town. In each community, applicants can earn no more than 50% of the area median income for their family size.
People who do qualify can get up to $5,000 to support past-due rent payments and late fees, according to the program information website.
It won’t help people who are current on their rent but struggling to pay the bills moving forward.
“It’s my hope that this fund will allow us to alleviate the burden of the low-income workers who have been hit hardest by this crisis,” Raimondo said, in announcing the details on Saturday.
HousingHelpRI.com is the site established to explain the program and field applications.
According to the site, the grants will not be distributed to tenants, but sent to landlords, moving companies or management companies.
Funds are available until they are exhausted. After that, the people who qualify are placed on a waitlist.
By Tuesday, three days after the program opened, a notice on the website noted that due to high demand, processing of the online application may be delayed.
Mary MacDonald is a staff writer for the PBN. Contact her at macdonald@pbn.com.
