Rental Assistance Program Available For Low-Income DeKalb Residents

DEKALB COUNTY, GA — DeKalb County residents can apply for rent assistance through a state program announced Superintendent Cheryl Watson-Harris and Board Chair Vickie Turner on Wednesday.

The first Rental Assistance Program in DeKalb County is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Mary McLeod Bethune Middle School, located at 5200 Covington Highway in Decatur. More dates and times will be announced as they are booked.

The Georgia Rental Application Assistance Program assists low-income residents in securing funding if they are behind on rent payments and utilities as of March 13, 2020, according to a news release. The program is a statewide program that can provide up to 18 months of rental and utility assistance, paid directly to participating landlords and service providers on behalf of tenants.

The application assistance program will continue for the remainder of the year, contingent upon the availability of federal funds. Those who do not need in-person assistance can start the screening process on the Georgia Department of Community Affairs website at: www.georgiarentalassistance.ga.gov.

Locally, the program is organized by the DeKalb National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) members and led by Derrica D. Williams, President of the DeKalb Section of NCNW.

Superintendent Watson-Harris said a stable home environment plays a role in a student’s educational success. She said in the release that this collaborative work is necessary to ensure local families are being assisted in getting the financial assistance they need.

“This is exactly what community looks like,” she said. “We know in education that we cannot do this work alone. It takes a village, and as you can see in DeKalb County, our village is very, very strong.”

In DeKalb County School District (DCSD), nearly 72-percent of students qualify for free and reduced lunch, and more than 17-percent of students are designated as homeless, which is defined as individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, according to the news release. In July 2021, the US Census Bureau reported that approximately 15.8-percent of DeKalb County residents live in poverty.

DCSD is providing computer labs at multiple high and middle schools across the school system for the Rental Assistance Program. The labs will be utilized for this program after regular school hours and on weekends to minimize disruptions to normal operations.