Housing providers and tenants financially impacted by the pandemic need to look into the OUR Florida program for potential relief.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – It’s called OUR Florida, and it was created to provide assistance to Florida tenants and housing providers who have been financially distressed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The program has been in place since May, but many Floridians still remain unaware of it, even as they continue to struggle to cover their rent, pay their mortgage or simply provide for their families.
OUR Florida is funded through the Emergency Rental Assistance programs passed by Congress late last year. Florida’s program received $800 million and plenty of that money is still available for eligible Floridians.
Applicants are eligible if they:
- Rent their home, apartment or other residential dwelling in Florida.
- Earn an income at or below 80% of the area’s median income (AMI).
- Have qualified for unemployment, experienced a loss of income, incurred significant costs or faced financial hardships due to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency.
- Are at risk of losing their home, experiencing housing instability or living in unsafe or unhealthy conditions.
Additionally, housing providers can assist tenants in the process by applying for them. To be able to do this, the identity of the renter and the housing provider must be established. A renter must sign the application for assistance attesting that all information is correct, and required documentation may be submitted by the landlord on behalf of the renter, to the extent feasible.
The program began accepting applications for assistance on May 17th, but funding remains available for those who apply. To help spread the word about the program, OUR Florida is providing a comprehensive tool kit that stakeholders can use to share information. The tool kit includes social media content, fact sheets, opinion-editorial templates and much more.
If you are a housing provider or tenant impacted by the pandemic, or know someone who is, please encourage them to visit OUR Florida and apply for assistance.
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Author: kerrys