Changes to Manatee County’s rental assistance program may help you qualify
Major changes to the Emergency Rental Assistance program for residents affected by income loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic may make it easier to receive a check.
In a presentation to the Manatee Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday, county staff detailed key updates to the federal program’s guidelines. The applications are now easier to complete and more people are eligible for payments.
Geri Lopez, the county’s director of the Redevelopment and Economic Opportunity Department, briefed commissioners on the changes. The U.S Department of the Treasury has already issued five different guidance documents.
“As you can see, this is constantly a moving target that we’re working on,” Lopez said.
The new rules mean that those who were turned down before or couldn’t prove any financial impact as a result of the pandemic now could have their rental payments covered. These changes are especially helpful for people who run a cash business, those who make most of their money from tips or hobby-based flea markets, according to staff.
As of Sept. 30, the county had received more than 950 applications and sent more than $3.3 million in payments to nearly 500 landlords in rent assistance. More than $10 million is still available for anyone in need of assistance. The program is open to anyone within the county, including local municipalities.
“As you all know, there’s a segment of the community that is still struggling,” said Lopez.
In order to spread the word about the available funds, the county is partnering with community organizations. Ambassadors have also been stationed at popular locations, such as the Central Library, the Palmetto Library and Gulf Coast Legal Services.
Jennifer Yost, a community development project manager with the county, said the team is also working on new programs to expand how the funds can be used. Ideas include a housing stability program to assist those who need to find a place to stay during the pandemic and an eviction prevention program.
“These are just concepts at this time, and we hope to bring them back at a later date,” Yost noted.
Resides will also be allowed to “self-certify” if they don’t have any source documents to prove that they lost income due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
One improvement that commissioners wanted to see was a quicker turnaround from the time the application is submitted to the time the funds are sent to the landlord or property manager. The average response time has been 6-8 weeks, according to Lopez, due to the documentation the federal government requires and the time it takes county staff to verify all of it.
“It is the six to eight weeks because of the documentation that’s need. That’s why we believe with some of the self-certification and the ambassadors, it should go much, much quicker,” Lopez explained. “We agree that if you’re in danger of being evicted, you need that money right away.”
Cries to simplify application process
Commissioner Reggie Bellamy applauded staff for their effort throughout the year but urged officials to come up with new ways to streamline the application process.
“I honestly think the elephant in the room is how to simplify the application process,” he said. “How do we simplify the application? How do we simplify the application? How do we simplify that process? The actual processing of the application is the true challenge.”
The process is still being refined, and it can be slowed down by landlords that aren’t willing to participate, Commissioner George Kruse pointed out. Lopez shared that at least one landlord asked the county to cancel a check that had already been sent to them.
“Here’s one of the secrets, it’s not the applicant. You need the landlord to accept the dollars. There are landlords all over this country where the landlord isn’t cooperating,” said Kruse. “We can’t just blame the system or the applicant. We need a party willing to work with us on the other side.”
County Administrator Scott Hopes also praised the staff members who have put in “unbelievable hours” in order to keep the Emergency Rental Assistance program running smoothly.
“We have individuals and families out there that are hurting. Even though we’re over 30%, that’s still not good enough,” said Hopes, referring to the fact that nearly a third of the federal funds have been sent out. “We’ve got this money. We need to get it to those families and folks in need, but we have made a tremendous amount of progress.”
County staff will share the details of the upcoming program changes with commissioners at a later date. Those looking for rental assistance should visit www.MyManatee.org/RentHelp or call (941) 745-6270 for more information.
This story was originally published October 13, 2021 at 6:00 AM.
