Volusia County: $20 million in rental assistance available

Ormond Beach Observer
News

by: Pat Kuehn
Community Information Specialist, Volusia County Government

Volusia County’s Emergency Rental Assistance program has over $20 million available to assist households that have experienced a financial hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic. Eligible households may receive up to 12 months of assistance for rent or utilities, including past due payments and other assistance related to housing stability.

Applications will be accepted beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, July 20. At that time, county residents may submit an application online at www.volusia.org/era. The webpage includes income limits and a list of the required documents. Households that are currently receiving Emergency Rental Assistance do not need to reapply.

For those needing assistance with the application, navigators will be available the morning of July 20 at:

Daytona Beach, DeLand, Deltona, New Smyrna Beach, Ormond Beach and Port Orange regional libraries
John H. Dickerson Heritage, Hope Place, DeBary and Edgewater public libraries
Emergency Rental Assistance conference room, Bank of America Building, 230 N. Woodland Blvd., Suite 262, DeLand

Landlords may apply on behalf of their tenant. They are asked to send an email to [email protected] with their contact information. A staff member will reach out to help them with additional information.

An eligible household is a renter household in which at least one or more individuals meet and can document these criteria:

Qualifies for unemployment or has experienced a reduction in household income, incurred significant costs, or experienced a financial hardship due directly or indirectly to the COVID-19 pandemic;
Demonstrates a risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability; and
Has a household income at or below 80% of the area median income.

Applications will be prioritized in this order:

Applicants who are unemployed for the 90 days prior to the application date and whose income is at or below 50% of the area median income
Applicants whose income is at or below 50% of the area median income
Applicants who are unemployed for the 90 days prior to the application date and whose income is at or below 80% of the area median income
Applicants whose income is at or below 80% of the area median income

Households must be re-certified every three months to continue receiving assistance.

With finite funds available, the county will close the application window after receiving 1,500 applications to ensure assistance is available for all accepted applicants. As applications are processed and the amount of committed dollars is calculated, additional applications may be accepted at a later date to ensure funding is fully utilized. The county will provide advance notice if the application window reopens.

For more information, call Volusia County’s Community Assistance Division at 386-943-7095.