City Of Greenboro: Rent/Utility Assistance Portal Closes October 31 To Focus On Applications Already Submitted

Press release from the City of Greensboro:

10/28/2021 8:39 AM

After the City’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) received a boost of an additional $10 million in funding from Guilford County to continue its program, the City is closing the program’s application portal to new applications on October 31.

According to City staff, the ERAP system currently has about 1,300 applications already in the system.

“We process about $500,000 worth of applications each week,” says Michelle Kennedy, director of the Neighborhood Development Department that administers the City’s ERAP. “The county’s funding was large, but the need in our community has proven to be larger. We have to make sure applications already submitted are completed before opening up to new cases we may not have the resources available to serve.”

Renewals of past assistance will still be processed in the portal by the City’s partner agencies.

“If additional funds become available, we will re-open the portal,” Kennedy adds.

Meanwhile, the county’s Guilford Cares rent and utility assistance program is still taking applications. Greensboro residents who have not yet applied for rent and/or utility assistance through the City’s program may do so through the county’s application online portal.

The decision to close the City’s application portal was agreed upon by all partner agencies who have “worked tirelessly for our residents in need for many months,” Kennedy says. They are Greensboro Housing Coalition, Greensboro Urban Ministries, Housing Consultants Group, and Salvation Army of Greensboro.

For more details and ongoing updates, visit the City’s ERAP Web page.

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