NC Rental/Utility Assistance Program

A total of $117 million dollars will be allocated to aid North Carolinas most vulnerable tenants. Utilizing $51 million in CDBG-CV funds and $66 million in Coronavirus Relief Funds provided by the federal government,  the new program, Housing Opportunities to Prevent Evictions (HOPE) will be launched in the coming weeks. Managed through the North Carolina Office of Resilience and Recovery (NCORR), interested applicants will call a designated hotline for a preliminary screening where they will be directed to one of the twenty local nonprofit agencies throughout the state that will provide support and determine further eligibility. All payments will be made directly to landlord/property management and utility providers on behalf of the resident.
 
Eligibility requirements:

• The HOPE program will assist households with incomes between 50%-80% AMI, Households below 50% AMI will be directed to DHHS and the BACK@Home program.
• Applicants must attest that they have been financially impacted by COVID-19

Benefits:

• Full Rental payments up to 6 months, including arrearages
• Past-due utility payments (electricity, natural gas, propane, sewer, and water)

Landlords must agree to the following terms if they accept payments:

• Agree to drop any pending eviction proceedings against the tenant for nonpayment of rent
• Agree not to evict tenant for the duration of the tenants' lease
• Agree not to add additional fees or penalties for nonpayment for the duration of the tenants' lease.

The HOPE program is still being finalized and I have been told that minor changes may occur before the launching of this program. AANC continues to monitor these developments and will provide pertinent updates as needed. Feedback from DHHS regarding details for the Back@Home program has not been provided yet. When that information becomes available AANC will provide those details as well.