City of Durham issued the following announcement on Jan. 21.
City of Durham residents and landlords seeking emergency rental and utilities assistance now have until February 6 to submit their applications before the Durham Rent Relief Program closes to new applicants.
The Durham Rent Relief Program, funded by the City of Durham and administered by Legal Aid of North Carolina, began accepting applications on January 12. Over 1,700 applications have been submitted in less than one month, with another 1,400 in the process of being completed.
According to City of Durham Community Development Director Reginald J. Johnson, this large volume of requests may already be enough to use all of the available funding. “The decision to stop taking new applications is based on funding availability compared to the volume of requests we’ve already received through this program,” said Johnson. “We do not want people to continue to apply for assistance if we know there is not enough funding left in the program to assist them.”
Applications are now being reviewed as they are submitted. Renters at imminent risk of eviction will receive top priority. Priority is also being given to households with very low incomes, or with one or more members who have been unemployed for at least 90 days.
“As we receive new applications, the pool gets reprioritized with people in one of the higher priority groups going to the top of the review pile,” Johnson said. “Unfortunately, this means that not everyone who has applied already, or who will apply before the February 6 closure date, will receive financial assistance.”
February 6 will be the last day for individuals to open new applications in the Durham Rent Relief Program online application portal. Individuals who open applications on or before February 6 will still be able to complete their applications and submit them for review after the closure date.
Renters and landlords who need assistance with the online application portal may also call (919) 521-5777 or send an email. In person assistance is also available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Durham County Courthouse, Courtroom M4, 3rd Floor, 510 South Dillard St.
After the February 6 closure date, renters facing eviction may call Legal Aid of North Carolina’s toll-free Housing Helpline at 1-877-201-6426 or visit their Housing Helpline webpage for free legal resources on eviction and renters' rights.
The Durham Rent Relief Program uses funds appropriated by the U.S. Congress in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
Original source can be found here.
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