LITTLE ROCK, Ark — Arkansans can start applying on Monday for a new rental assistance program that's being provided by the Arkansas Department of Human Services.
The Arkansas Rent Relief Program will offer rental and utility aid assistance for both qualifying renters and landlords that were directly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The federal government awarded the state $173 million in aid.
Amy Webb is the chief of communications and engagement for the department.
Webb said that there are three main points of criteria for applicants.
The first is the loss of a job or significant source of income due to the pandemic.
The second is the inability to pay rent, along with overdue bills and/or an eviction notice.
The final criteria is that applicants would have to meet the income eligibility.
An applicant's income has to fall at or below 80% of an area's median income, which is tricky as it varies county to county.
If you live in Benton, Pulaski, or Washington counties, they're already accepting applicants with their own rent-relief programs.
Webb said that once they've exhausted all of their funding, the department itself will have funding available for renters in those areas.
"Renters may be eligible for up to 15 months of rental assistance," Webb said.
"So it can pay overdue rent and future rent," she continued.
"For overdue rent, it can pay up to 12 months back to April 1, 2020. When people apply for future rent, they can apply for up to three months at a time."
Webb said that the money goes directly to landlords and utility companies.
The department has met with different organizations across the state.
They've aimed to spread information about the program so that Arkansans who are in need are familiar with the options and resources that they have available.
Webb said that the goal for the program is to ensure people that have a stable home, while assisting them to get back on their feet.
"Many Arkansans and people all across the country lost their jobs," Webb said.
"They've been struggling financially and we want to make sure that Arkansas renters have places to live."
For 20 years Lynn Foster taught rental law. She worked for tenants rights legislation for the last decade.
Foster has kept a record of all evictions in Arkansas that happened in 2020.
In a report from December 2020, Foster said that out of 403,000 rent-paying households, 19% weren't caught up on payments.
Roughly a third of those renters weren't confident that they'd have enough money to cover rent going in to the new year.
"You know, statistics show that 80% of low income renters pay more than 30% of their income for rent," Foster said.
"So when you think of the impact of COVID on these folks, people lost jobs for months."
Foster said that the renters were more likely to lose their jobs than the home owners.
"About half of the rental units in the United States are owned by individuals who we would call small landlords," Foster said.
"They were hurt very bad by COVID. The same way that tenants needed employment money to pay the rent, landlords needed rental money to pay their mortgage expenses," she continued.
As some renters are looking for back rent while adding late fees, Foster is hopeful that the federal funds will help people get back on their feet.
"It looks like this will be the most generous program of all," Foster said.
"Under this program, if a landlord for whatever reason will not accept the rental assistance, and there have been a number of landlords who have refused, the tenants can get it anyway."
Individuals can apply online here.