As COVID Eviction Moratorium Expires, Montco Offering Rent Help

NORRISTOWN, PA — The pandemic-inspired moratorium on evictions ends this week, and Montgomery County officials are reminding residents that help is available.

The Your Way Home Emergency Rent and Utility Commission is making up to $1,500 a month available for those in need.

Eligible households can receive a maximum of $9,000 in reimbursement, or six months worth of payments, the county said, dating back to March 1, 2020.

The eviction moratorium remains in place until the end of July.

As of last fall, statistics tracked by the county using Esri's Business Analyst tool estimate that there are 96,664 renters in the county; between 29 and 43 percent of those renters were estimated at the time to be at "severe" risk of eviction due to the economic stressors caused by coronavirus.

To qualify, residents must be at or below median income in the area, have an eviction notice or a utility shut off notice, and have no alternative means to pay rent.

To access the program, call 2-1-1 or text your zip code to 898-211. For more details on the program, see here.