Lamont: Rent, utility relief fund could help up to 25,000 residents
The state of Connecticut has created a $235 million fund to help people pay rent and utilities in the coming months — the result of a Congressional stimulus package passed in December and additional funds appropriated last week under the American Rescue Plan.
Gov. Ned Lamont announced the creation of UniteCT to distribute the funding to applicants who can demonstrate they have been financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, including renters and landlords who have been otherwise unable to collect amounts due.
To qualify, households cannot have income exceeding 80 percent of median income as designated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, with the state Department of Housing posting a town-by-town list of median incomes online. Beneficiaries can qualify for up to $10,000 in rental assistance, and up to $1,500 to pay electric bills that are overdue.
“We are blessed as a state to have a lot fewer folks (in) rent arrears than most other states, but there’s still a fair number of people who are unemployed ... a fair number of people who have had a hard time in making their rent payments,” Lamont said Monday afternoon during an update webcast on CT-N and YouTube on the state’s pandemic response.
“We have capacity to work with 25,000 or so either tenants or landlords. ... We probably had 1,200 applications today.”
Lamont announced the program on the same day he expanded COVID-19 vaccine eligibility starting April 5 to all Connecticut residents to age 16 and older, with those below age 35 having previously had to wait until early May.
Information about UniteCT is online at ct.gov/doh, including a video tutorial to walk people through the application, which can be completed on a smartphone. People can also be connected for assistance using the state’s 211 information line or by calling 844-864-8328.
The Connecticut Legal Services nonprofit will get $1 million to provide representation for people in housing court, and another $4 million in state funding to support undocumented immigrants who live in rented quarters.
Relief will be prioritized to households with below half of median income, or those in which an earner was furloughed for at least three months, according to a presentation posted online last week by Dawn Parker, director of UniteCT.
“The application is very easy — it takes 30 minutes,” said Seila MosqueraBruno, housing commissioner for the state of Connecticut, speaking Monday during Lamont’s news conference.