The Iowa Finance Authority announced this week the availability of an eligibility precheck for the new Iowa Rent and Utility Assistance Program, which will begin accepting full applications later this month.

Pella Area Community and Economic Alliance Executive Director Karen Eischen says the program will provide financial assistance to eligible COVID-19 impacted Iowans for rent and utility costs for a period of up to 12 months. She says renters in need of assistance are encouraged to take the new Iowa Rent and Utility Assistance program’s eligibility precheck to determine if they meet the initial eligibility criteria, and if eligible, to sign-up to receive notification when the full application is available.

This program is funded through $195 million that was provided through the Federal Emergency Rental Assistance Program.

ELIGIBILITY
General eligibility requirements require that applicants: Be current renters earning no more than 80% of their county’s area median income; have experienced a documented financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; and can demonstrate a risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability which may include a past due utility or rent notice or eviction notice. If a renter received past assistance through one of the previous programs it does not impact eligibility.

ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE
Assistance to be available through the program includes:
Rent assistance for past due and future payments.
Utility Payments owed at time of application (no future payments).
Eligible past due rent and utility payments may date back to costs incurred no earlier than March 13, 2020. Future rent payments may be awarded for up to three months at a time and additional requests will require a subsequent application. Eligible renters may receive a total of up to 12 months of combined rent and utility assistance through the program.

Additional program details and the eligibility precheck are available at IowaHousingRecovery.com.