A new rental assistance program to help Arkansans affected by the covid-19 pandemic is expected to be available early this month, according to a news release from the organizing nonprofit.
The program, called Arkansas Fresh Start, is funded with $10 million in grants from the Arkansas Economic Development Commission and federal CARES Act money. The Arkansas Community Action Agencies Association, Inc. will run the program, which provides up to 2½ months rent to eligible Arkansans, according to the release issued this week.
Those interested will be able to apply through local Community Action Agency. Once the program is launched, applicants can go to arfreshstart.com to locate their agency and complete an application. Arkansas has 15 such nonprofits throughout the state.
To be eligible, applicants must be Arkansas residents with a household income at or below 80% of their area's median income. They must be unable to pay rent because of a covid-19-related issue, and have their landlord's "stated willingness to accept the payment" of rental assistance, according to the news release.
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The CARES Act Steering Committee, a state-level legislative body, developed the program. The Arkansas Legislative Council approved the expenditure last month.
"The Fresh Start Program is a great way to leverage funds that will help both tenants and landlords during these challenging times," Mike Preston, Arkansas secretary of commerce, said in the release. "We want to improve the lives of working Arkansans to every possible extent, and providing resources for short-term rental assistance is one of the ways we can accomplish that goal."
Terry Bearden, Arkansas Community Action Agencies Association chief operations officer, said in the release that the U.S. Census Bureau estimates as many as 139,000 Arkansas households may not be able to pay rent because of economic and health impacts of the pandemic.
"Arkansas is facing a growing crisis in rent arrearages," Bearden said in the release. "The devastating economic and health effects of COVID-19 have resulted in a deeply concerning number of Arkansans falling dangerously behind in their rent payments."
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued in September a moratorium on evictions for nonpayment of rent for tenants who meet certain qualifications. The ban expires at the end of the year and did not establish a fund for rental assistance.
Because of the lack of a fund, renter advocates and housing experts have said many tenants may build up thousands of dollars in rent payment and late fee debt in the coming months.
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November 05, 2020 at 04:34PM
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Rent assistance program to start in coming days - Arkansas Online
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