INHS, a local affordable housing organization, launched its COVID-19 Rental Assistance Program in June, is still accepting applications. The program is designed to provide relief up to three months to eligible households who have experienced a loss of income related to the public health crisis.
INHS has repurposed approximately $790,000 of existing grant funding for use as rental assistance. This includes: $589,222 from Tompkins County’s CDBG program to serve approximately 150 households; $100,000 from the New York State HOME Local program to serve approximately 27 households in Seneca and Schuyler Counties; $100,000 from the New York State HOME Local program to serve approximately 21 households in Tompkins and Tioga Counties. In addition to the repurposing of existing grants, INHS received $190,000 from the Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency’s (IURA) Community Development Block Grant Coronavirus (CDBG-CV) to serve approximately 50 households in the City of Ithaca.
To be eligible for assistance, renters will need the property owner’s approval to participate in the program and property must meet condition requirements. Applicants must also provide a copy of their current lease, copies of most recent two months of statements for all bank and/or investments accounts, and proof of COVID-19 related income loss.
“These last few months have shined a glaring spotlight on the importance of safe, stable housing for all people,” said Executive Director Johanna Anderson. “At INHS, we are committed to helping our neighbors remain in their homes; not just during this time of crisis, but always. To ensure access for all, we are able to receive and process paperwork electronically, by mail, or by hand-delivering it to the drop-box located on the front porch of our main office. We will get through this difficult time, together.”
The program is currently accepting applications. Additional information can be found on the INHS website at ithacanhs.org/rentalassistance. Funds will be distributed on a first eligible, first served basis. INHS tenants are welcome to apply but will not receive priority. You do not have to have been diagnosed with COVID-19 to be eligible.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected].