Emergency aid available to county residents facing eviction

The coronavirus pandemic has placed tremendous pressure on people already struggling to make ends meet. That has caused many people to fall behind on rent payments.

Even though the CDC has extended a moratorium on evictions through mid-summer, that doesn’t alleviate the needs of renters – or the people who rent to them.

Thanks to the most recent COVID relief package passed by Congress, Kalamazoo County has money to help bring residents up to date – $17 million, to be precise. That money is meant to help people who are behind on rent payments, utility bills, or internet service payments.

The COVID Emergency Rental Assistance program is being administered by a cadre of different organizations in Kalamazoo County. People who qualify can receive up to 12 months of rent support, $2,500 in utility assistance, and $300 for internet service.

In order to qualify, a household must make under 80% of the median income – that’s $63,200 for a family of four in Kalamazoo. They also need to have experienced a COVID-related hardship sometime in the past year.

You can read more and apply through Housing Resources, Inc.’s website.