Tag Archives: rental burden

State unveils $25M COVID rental assistance program

rental assistance program slide

Indiana Gov.
Eric Holcomb on June 24 announced the Indiana COVID-19 Rental Assistance
Program, a $25 million fund designed to help Indiana renters adversely affected
by COVID-19 avoid eviction.

Qualified
renters may receive up to $2,000 in assistance to help cover four months of
rent payments and/or late fees.

Applications
will be accepted online beginning at 9 a.m. on Monday, July 13. Funds are
available on a first-come, first-served basis, and officials expect demand for
assistance to exceed available resources.

To be
eligible, a rental household must:

  • Live outside of Marion County (which has its own rental fund)
  • Have experienced an involuntary loss of income due to COVID-19
  • Be rent burdened or at risk of eviction
  • Not be receiving rental assistance through Section 8 or USDA Rural Development programs
  • Not be receiving COVID-19 rental assistance for the same months it is seeking state help

“This has
been a very challenging time for Hoosiers, and the economic impacts of COVID-19
has left some renters in a tough spot,” Holcomb said in a news release. “The
Indiana COVID-19 Rental Assistance Program will support our renters, improve
our state’s housing stability and help prevent evictions as the state gets back
on track.”

The program
will provide households with up to $500 in assistance for four months, totaling
a maximum of $2,000 in assistance to eligible renters to help cover past and
ongoing rent payments or late fees.

Approximately 12,000 Indiana households could be helped. Payments will be made directly to the landlord, who must agree to participate.

If they have not done so, renters should speak with their property manager if they are unable to make their payments. More resources area available in the state’s Coronavirus Eviction & Foreclosure Prevention Guide.

HAND also will be administering rental assistance to households in its service area who are referred by their township trustee.