Kelly Evans expects the nonprofit Neighbor to Neighbor to help at least four times as many residents with rent as normal while many are not working due to the coronavirus closures.
“We’re poised to quadruple our capacity in April,” said the executive director of the nonprofit that covers Loveland and Fort Collins. “But, quite honestly, I’m not sure that is going to be adequate.”
During the week of March 23, the nonprofit had 37 applications for rent assistance that were tied to the pandemic, up from 24 pandemic-related applications the prior week. The applications continued to rise as March turned to April, closures continued and rent was due.
“Lots of folks have been impacted because work shut down or reduced hours,” said Evans. “That doesn’t pay the rent or other bills. Most of it was unexpected, and with our housing prices, there isn’t a lot of savings our renters can have on a good day, so when you have your income unexpectedly cut …”
Shannon Horman reached out to Neighbor to Neighbor to apply for assistance on April 1 after her income came to a screeching halt due to the pandemic. She and her brother own Red Letter Tattoo, one of many businesses forced to close during the public health emergency.
“We’ve been in business since 2011,” said Horman. “We were one of the first wave of people shut down. It’s been a rough time. This is the first time I’ve been in this predicament wondering where is the money going to come from.”
She said many others she knows, including her best friend who is a cosmetologist, are completely out of work, unsure how they are going to make it financially and trying to share resources.
As Horman waits to hear whether she will be approved for $500 assistance from Neighbor to Neighbor, she also is applying for a loan for her business. She is feeling the stress that many others also feel.
“It would pay my rent,” she said. “That’s the hard thing, I’ve always been on time with paying my rent and everything else. I’ve never had to worry. This is the first time I’ve been like, ‘OK, I don’t know what to do.’ … I’ve definitely had quite a few meltdowns.”
She learned about Neighbor to Neighbor through a posting of resources at her apartment complex and reached out for help.
That is what the nonprofit is all about, helping keep people in stable housing during hard times.
Neighbor to Neighbor helps residents across Northern Colorado, including providing budget counseling and emergency rental assistance among other programs. Last year, it distributed more than $225,000 in emergency assistance to 600 households, of which more than 90% reported stable housing six months out. That includes $89,900 in emergency rent assistance to 271 Loveland households, which averages 23 households per month.
With the pandemic, Evans expects that number to soar to at least 80 Loveland households per month in April and May.
Overall, the agency anticipates needing more than $100,000 for emergency rent assistance for about 200 Northern Colorado households in April alone. Donations and funding have been increasing as well, but the nonprofit still needs another $30,000 just to meet its anticipated April needs, Evans reported
And then there’s May and possibly June, which could be just as busy if the closures continue.
Evans said the agency expected to see an increase in the need for help when the pandemic hit. More than 20% of employees nationwide have had seen their jobs cut or their hours reduced due to the pandemic, Evans reported. And even with the coming government stimulus checks, renters will struggle to cover their payments in a market where average rent is $1,400 monthly, she reported.
The emergency rent assistance amounts to a $500 check, and for this surge, Neighbor to Neighbor has streamlined the process online, allowing people to apply quickly and easily online and, if approved, receive assistance within a few days.
Already, some landlords are being flexible with their rents due, but some are unable or unwilling to do so, Evans said. She has heard of some property management companies that, when the court starts processing evictions, are ready with a list due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Neighbor to Neighbor is hoping to help people who have lost work bridge the gap and keep their housing. The agency has seen an increase in donations and is “feverishly” writing grants in order to help meet the increasing need. Donations can be made at n2n.org.
Evans is hearing from people who are finding themselves in the unfamiliar situation of needing help with their rent. One recent client took time off to attend her brother’s funeral and returned home find to her employer, a salon, had closed. Another is on unpaid maternity leave and her husband lost his restaurant job due to the coronavirus closures. The family suddenly no longer has income.
“It’s difficult time for hundreds or thousands of our neighbors,” said Evans. “Some people are in a hard spot right now.”
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The need for rent assistance soaring in Loveland as coronavirus puts people out of work - Loveland Reporter-Herald
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