Renter's Assistance Available For Families Impacted By COVID-19

BLOOMINGDALE — RIVERVIEW, FL — Financial assistance of up to $7,500 will soon be available to Hillsborough County residents who are past-due with rent and utility bills because of impacts caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Hillsborough County officials said.

More than $44 million has been given to Hillsborough County and the city of Tampa from the federal Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. Registration opened for landlords Tuesday. Online registration opens for eligible residents March 23 at 10 a.m.

Landlords Who Want To Find Out More Information:

The county will host landlord information sessions to discuss the program and requirements for landlord participation on:

• Wednesday, March 17 at 3 p.m.
• Thursday, March 18 at 1 p.m.
• Friday, March 19 at 10 a.m.

Registration is required.

Resident Information:

The program's eligibility criteria, documentation requirements for households, and the timeline for the opening of online applications are posted at HCFLGov.net/R3HomeHelp. Any eligible resident of Hillsborough County.

The county urges residents who need assistance to review the eligibility criteria and requirements before applying. This ensures applications are complete, accurate, and can be quickly reviewed to determine eligibility.

Guidelines:

• Qualifying households must be actively renting, and have income at or below 80 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI) as reported on their 2020 Federal Income Tax filing (IRS form 1040 Adjusted Gross Income). These incomes depend on household size and could be between $39,400 for a single-member household to $83,250 for a 10-person household.
• Priority access will be given to eligible households at or below 50 percent AMI or with zero income the 90 days prior to the application date. These incomes could be between $24,650 for a single-member household to $52,050 for a 10-person household.

Rental financial assistance will be a direct payment to registered landlords for past-due rent of approved tenants. Electric financial assistance will be paid directly to TECO and will cover past-due charges.

For full details, visit HCFLGov.net/R3HomeHelp.