Hoosiers can sign up for new rental assistance program

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indiana has received about $448 million in emergency rental assistance and utility-home energy assistance funding through a new COVID-19 relief bill.

Jacob Sipe, executive director of Indiana Housing & Community Development Authority (IHCDA), detailed the new funding program during Gov. Eric Holcomb’s weekly coronavirus briefing on Wednesday.

Six Indiana municipalities have received funding and will administer their own programs, Sipe said. These municipalities have been allocated money:

• City of Fort Wayne: $8.1 million.
• Elkhart County: $6.2 million.
• Hamilton County: $10.1 million.
• Marion County: $28.9 million.
• St. Joseph County: $8.1 million.
• Lake County: $14.5 million.

The remainder of the state will receive $372 million, Sipe said.

The new program is designed to help households that are unable to pay rent and utility bills due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sipe said. Eligible households can get up to 12 months of rental and utility assistance, including a combination of past-due rent and future rent.

“It looks like they are really trying to streamline the process so this aid can get to the families and the landlords who need it the most,” said Andrew Bradley, the policy director for Prosperity Indiana.

Bradley has seen a draft of the proposal. He believes it will be easy for people to apply and that there are enough guardrails to prevent fraud.

Eligible households are defined by the U.S. Department of Treasury as a renter household in which at least one or more people qualifies for unemployment or has faced a reduction in household income, incurred significant costs, or experienced financial difficulties due to the pandemic; is at risk of becoming homeless; household income is at or below 80% of the area median income.

Sipe provided the following household incomes that would meet qualification for the program:

• 2-person household: $46,250
• 4-person household: $57,850
• 6-person household: $67,100

IHCDA submitted a draft of the program policy on Feb. 8 and is waiting for revised guidance from the U.S. Department of Treasury. Sipe said once that guidance is received IHCDA will likely begin accepting applications within a week.

Hoosiers can subscribe to receive updates on the state program online.

However, Marion County has set up its website already.

Hamilton County has its own website, too.

Renter households in the above listed municipalities are not eligible to apply for rental assistance through the state’s program, they must apply through their local program.

Indiana State Department of Health on Wednesday reported 20 additional COVID-19 deaths, for a total of 11,825. There are 955 Hoosiers hospitalized with COVID-19.