City Of Milton: Qualified Milton Residents Can Obtain Federal Rental, Utility Bill Assistance

Press release from the City of Milton:

03/01/2021 5:43 PM

Milton residents hit hard financially by the COVID-19 pandemic's widespread impact can obtain emergency rental and utility assistance.

Fulton County's government will distribute $18 million in federal funding to qualified residents, with payments made directly to landlords and utility companies. The money, which comes from the U.S. Consolidated Appropriations Act, is allocated specifically to Fulton County residents who live outside Atlanta.

And the disbursement follows recent Fulton County Board of Commissioners’ meetings in which local mayors – including Milton’s Joe Lockwood – pressed that such federal aid go to people in their communities.

Those interested can get more information -- and fill out the online application -- by going to www.fultoncountyga.gov/renthelp. There, you can click either "Tenant Application" or "Landlord Application" (if you're a landlord applying on behalf of overdue tenants).

To obtain funding, "tenant" applicants must meet these requirements:

• Incomes at or below 80% of the area median income (AMI)
• One or more people in the household qualifies for unemployment benefits OR can attest to reduced income, significant costs or otherwise been hurt financially by COVID-19 and its aftereffects
• One or more people in the household shows a risk of homelessness or housing instability (such as through an overdue utility bill or eviction notice), lives in unsafe or unhealthy conditions, and/or other evidence that they're at risk.

Priority will be given to those living in households where someone has been unemployed for 90 days or more or with incomes below half the area median income. Those who are current on their rent but owe for utilities, who are not on a lease but face eviction, who have already been evicted, or who are homeless can apply.

To apply, a person needs to provide contact information, a wage statement or signed declaration, lease agreement, documentation of payments, "past due" utility bills, unemployment paperwork and/or other documentation that might apply.

Moreover, an owner or landlord can apply on behalf of a qualified tenant.

*Note: This post has been updated since the program began.

This press release was produced by the City of Milton. The views expressed here are the author’s own.