$8 million in relief available to renters
Funds earmarked for those impacted by COVID-19
Oakland County renters and homeowners significantly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic will soon have an opportunity to apply for financial aid through a new grant program.
The Oakland County Rent, Mortgage and Utility Program for Citizens will provide $8.1 million in relief to residents who need assistance with rent, mortgage, or utility payments. Each household will be eligible for up to $15,000 in grant funding.
From the total funding, $5 million is being pulled from the county’s $219 million federal CARES Act allocation. Another $3.1 million is from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in the form of emergency community development block (CDBG) grant funding, also approved as part of the federal CARES Act, aimed at assisting low income residents that live in 53 Oakland County Urban County participating communities.
Oakland County Executive David Coulter said the program will pay up to three months of past-due rent, housing or utility bills for low-income county residents who have been unable to pay their bills because of an income hardship directly related to the pandemic.
“This pandemic has been devastating to our economy, our businesses and so many of our residents,” he said. “This program will give some residents who have lost jobs or had their income severely reduced a chance to get back on their feet without having the added pressure of figuring out how to stay in their house, apartment or hav
ing their utilities shut off and still managing to keep their families – and themselves – safe.”
According to Kathy Williams, supervisor of housing and homeless services for Oakland County, there are 352,687 owner-occupied
housings units in Oakland County and 146,932 renteroccupied housing units in Oakland County. That data was pulled from the 2017 5-year American Community Survey from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Applications for the grant program can be found at www.oakgov.com/COVID and will be accepted beginning Wednesday through Aug. 31. A second phase begins
Oct. 1 to Nov. 30.
Residents of Farmington Hills, Royal Oak, Southfield, Waterford Township, Lake Angelus, Novi Township, Southfield Township and Bingham Farms are not eligible for this grant program. A complete list detailing the eligibility requirements for the grants is found at www.oakgov. com/covid. Applications can be picked up at Oakland
County Community & Home Improvement, Oakland Pointe, Suite 1900, 250 Elizabeth Lake Road, Pontiac, Mich., 48341-0414 between 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Questions, applications and supporting documentation can be submitted by email to OCHousingRelief@oakgov.com. Residents can also request an application be mailed to them by calling (248)-858-0730.