County Announces Program To Help Families Stay In Their Homes

WHITE PLAINS, NY — In an effort to stabilize communities and families in the county impacted by the new coronvirus pandemic, Westchester County Executive George Latimer announced a four-pronged program to help families stay in their homes. The Community Build Back Program has four programs under it — two of which utilize federal Housing and Urban Development funds and two others that will use $10 million in coronavirus relief funds.

Latimer said, as a result of COVID-19 and the impact on the economy, both the federal government and New York State issued moratoriums on tenant evictions.

"Those moratoriums are coming to an end and unemployment benefits have been greatly diminished," he said. "The Community Build Back Program will enable families to stay in their homes as we head into the fall/winter season.”

The RED STOP Eviction Project utilizes federal HUD funds and will provide up to four months of rental or utility arrears for tenants facing eviction or shut off as long as they can demonstrate that their financial hardship is due to the coronavirus. Tenants must be within 21 days of eviction, must demonstrate ability to pay their rent going forward and must live in a Westchester Urban County Consortium municipality. Assistance is available through select non-profits, including Westchester Residential Opportunities, Community Housing Innovations, Washingtonville Housing Alliance and Choice of New Rochelle.

RED Rent HELP Project — “moving forward” also utilizes federal HUD funds and will provide up to 12 months of rental assistance for families impacted by the coronavirus but focuses on households where the tenants worked in industries closed until Phase 4 or who worked for a business that no longer exists. RED Rent HELP Project will be run by the county’s Planning Department.

The Blue Priority Homeowners Initiative uses $2.5 million dollars of Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act funds (CARES) and focuses on homeowners facing foreclosure. That part of the program is estimated to help 325 households in the county, and assist them with up to four months of mortgage/cooperative arrears. Homeowners must show that COVID-19 has negatively impacted their ability to pay their mortgage. The homeowner will also have to show that they were up to date on payments as of March 2020. This part of the program also runs until the end of the year and will be administered through select nonprofits, including Westchester Residential Opportunities, Community Housing Innovations, Washingtonville Housing Alliance, HDSW (Human Development Services of Westchester) and the Bridge Fund.

Westchester Residential Opportunities, Inc., Executive Director Marlene Zarfes said the eviction prevention program will be a lifesaver for so many County residents at risk of becoming homeless.

For the Blue Small Business Landlord Initiative, $7.5 million dollars of CARES funds has been earmarked to assist approximately 2,400 households in the county by working directly with their landlords and bringing their rent up to date. The program runs from now until the end of 2020, and can cover up to 75 percent of back rent for up to four months of rent for landlords who can show that their tenants were up to date in March, but have since not been able to pay their rent due to COVID-19. This program, to be done by lottery, will assist landlords who own between four and 20 units. Blue Small Business Landlord Initiative will be run by the county’s Planning Department.

Latimer said landlords, many times, are small business owners who depend on the rent from their properties to support their own families.

"We realize the chaos that nonpayment can put into their lives and their communities," he said. "The last thing we want to see is a landlord lose their property over nonpayment. That benefits no one.”

Fact sheets and applications (English and Spanish) for the programs are available on the county’s website.