Renters and homeowners in Atlanta have just a few more days to apply for rent and mortgage assistance through the city’s COVID-19 relief program.
The deadline for applications is Saturday, Dec. 19, according to United Way, which is administering the program on behalf of the city. Online applications are no longer open, but residents are able to apply in person this week. The city has until the end of the year to spend millions that were allocated to the city by the federal CARES Act.
United Way is holding events this week to help people apply for the funding; find more details at unitedwayatlanta.org.
At one point, United Way projected that it would only be able to spend roughly half of the $22 million in CARES Act money that the Atlanta City Council had allocated for housing assistance by the Dec. 31 deadline. But the agency now says it plans to spend up to $15 million on the housing assistance; the rest of the funds could be reallocated to other city departments.
The program got off to a slow start but has since expanded to reach more people. To qualify, tenants must live in the city of Atlanta and make less than 80% of the area median income, which is about $66,000 for a family of four. To receive mortgage assistance, homeowners must make less than 100% of the area median income, about $82,700 for a family of four.
Households can receive up to $5,000 in rent or mortgage relief. Applicants must provide documentation including proof of income for each adult in the home, proof of residence and a utility bill or rent statement.
Many who applied for the funds were not eligible because they did not live in the city or did not provide all of the required documents, officials said in October.
United Way President and CEO Milton Little told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution last week that about 3,500 households had already received some funding, and that another 2,600 were in the pipeline.
People who have already applied but are missing documents have until Monday, Dec. 21 to send those in.
Stephen Deere contributed to this report.
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