Community Corner
Rental Assistance Program Draws 3,000 Applicants, Accepting More Requests
Nevada's rental assistance program received 3,085 applications in its first week and has funding to cover more applicants.
By Michael Lyle, The Nevada Current
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July 27, 2020
Nevada’s rental assistance program received 3,085 applications in its first week and has funding to cover more applicants, the state treasurer’s office said Monday.
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When Gov. Steve Sisolak announced a gradual lift of the moratorium on evictions, which can commence Sept. 1 for nonpayment of rent, he also reported that $30 million of coronavirus relief money would be directed toward rental assistance to help people who have fallen behind.
Clark County, which was allocated $20 million in funding, received 1,963 requests last week. Applications were administered through 14 community nonprofits.
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The Reno Housing Authority received 688 applicants while the Nevada Rural Housing Authority got 434. Both were allocated $5 million.
During an Interim Finance Committee meeting July 14 that approved the transfer of the funds, officials said there was a clawback provision that could redirect those funds among different parts of the state if needed.
According to the treasurer’s office, the majority of requests have been between two and three months of assistance. Payments are scheduled to be dispersed to landlords over the next two week.
Applicants’ income can’t exceed 120 percent of medium area income, nor can they have more than $3,000 in a checking or savings account. If they are receiving $600 from unemployment benefits, which are expected to run out at the end of this week, that would also be considered.
At the finance committee meeting, officials were unsure how many people would be served by the program.
In a statement Monday, the treasurer’s office estimated the program would cover 25,000 months of missed rent.
In a previous interview, Treasurer Zach Conine said the money was a good start but that the state would need additional funding to match the need.
People can access the program at housing.nv.gov.
This story was originally published by the Nevada Current. For more stories from the Nevada Current, visit NevadaCurrent.com.