Brian Walker, Communications Manager, 509.655.1387
Tuesday, May 10, 2022 at 8:13 a.m.
Updated May 12, 2022
City of Spokane residents will soon be able to apply for $5.59 million in new Emergency Rent Assistance Program funds awarded by the Washington State Department of Commerce.
“The City applied for additional funds aimed at staving off evictions and is pleased to receive these critical funds from Commerce that will be distributed to those most likely to become homeless,” said Jenn Cerecedes, Director of the City’s Community, Housing and Human Services Department. “The funding is intended to prevent evictions by paying past due and future rent and utilities that have resulted during the pandemic, Funds will be distributed equitably based on population demographics.”
Households must meet all three of the initial screening criteria to be eligible for rental and/or utility assistance:
A special budget ordinance on the funding was approved by the City Council tonight.
The application process for the funds will be announced in the near future on the City’s website after details such as a sub-recipient provider to distribute the funds to the community are finalized.
The City since last June has distributed nearly all of the previous $27 million in funding awarded for its Emergency Rent Assistance Program from the U.S. Treasury and State Commerce departments.
More than 2,470 households in the City have benefitted from the program that started June 1, 2021.
The Carl Maxey Center, which prioritizes assistance to African American and BIPOC households, continues to accept applications.
SNAP processes emergency rent assistance applications for Spokane County residents.
