Community

As NH rental assistance programs end, community action agencies continue to fight

By Patrick Adrian [email protected]
KEENE — The state of New Hampshire has indicated no plan to continue its soon-to-expire rental/mortgage assistance program, despite still having $25 million in its fund and data showing troubling increase in residents who are behind on their rent or mortgage payments.

The New Hampshire Housing Relief Program, which has assisted families and property owners statewide with housing payments since July, will stop accepting new applications after Friday, Dec. 18, according to Keith Thibault of Southwestern Community Services, a multi-service assistance organization that serves residents in Sullivan and Cheshire counties.

The state launched the Housing Relief Program this summer with $35 million in federal funds received in the CARES Act, in an effort to stave off potential tenant evictions amid the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic. Approximately $20 million of these funds were initially distributed between community service programs across the state to assist residents with their payments for rent, utilities and mortgages.

Despite the current resurgence of the novel coronavirus in New Hampshire, with the rate of new cases averaging between 500 to 1,000 per day, Thibault told the Eagle Times that the state has expressed no indication to extend the program’s deadline.

“Right now it’s not going to be extended in any way,” Thibault said. “[Advocates] have attended for months to get an extension but it hasn’t had any traction.”

New data also shows an increasing rate of New Hampshire residents who are behind on their rent or mortgage payments.

According to survey data from the U.S. Census Bureau in November, 10% of 176,000 surveyed New Hampshire residents reported being behind in their rent and 8% of 436,000 surveyed homeowners reported being behind on their mortgage payments.

The data also shows these rates have increased significantly, even in the last two months. The Census Bureau’s September survey found that 6% of 167,000 surveyed renters and 5% of 465,000 surveyed homeowners in New Hampshire were behind on their rent or mortgage payments.

Thibault said while he is hopeful the federal government will eventually pass a substantive stimulus bill, the current package under consideration in Congress does not include a rental assistance feature. The bulk of the current bi-partisan bill appropriates most of the proposed $908 million to unemployment benefits and payroll protection.

A major caveat of the New Hampshire housing-relief program was its broader eligibility parameters to include anyone impacted by a loss of income during the pandemic, even if still employed. Many residents who may not have qualified for unemployment benefits found themselves eligible for housing relief funds.

Through the program, eligible families could receive up to $2,500 in one-time aid, or up to $6,000 for long-term needs, to spend on rent, utilities, mortgage payments or property taxes.

Since July, Southwestern Community Services has received 1,300 inquiries from Sullivan and Cheshire residents and 1,100 applications. As of Nov. 30, Southwestern had paid out $1.38 million for 438 applicants and processed another 375 applicants, Thibault said. About 300 to 400 applications were either withdrawn or deemed ineligible for funds.

A number of approved applicants include landlords or property managers who sought help because of tenants who were unable to pay rent during the past few months.

“So many of them would have been left holding the bag had this program not been here,” Thibault said.

Statewide the program has paid out, as of Nov. 30, approximately $.7.3 million in housing-assistance funds, though that amount does not include payouts from the past two weeks nor applications still in process, according to Thibault. He estimates that $10 million in funds will likely be spent when the program officially ceases.

Though Dec. 18 will be the last day to apply, Southwestern will continue processing applications for assistance through Jan. 14.

“People still have time to get applications in,” Thibault said. “Anyone who has lost income due to the pandemic should get in touch with us.”

Despite the program’s initially rocky launch, due mostly to a cumbersome application and a struggle for organizations to process in equal pace to incoming applications, changes made in August have since simplified the application and streamlined the process.

To access the online application, visit scshelps.org, scroll down to the Housing

Relief Program box and click the Apply Now link to access the portal. The application is short and only requests basic information about the individual or family in need.

Southwestern Community Services also provides an array of other assistance, including fuel, health and nutrition.

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