Mercer County Awarded 11M To Help Renters Avoid Eviction

Princeton NJ

04 March, 2021

11:34 AM

Description

MERCER COUNTY, NJ — Mercer County was recently awarded $11 million to help county residents avoid eviction due to job loss during the pandemic. County executive Brian M Huges made the announcement last week. The grant was made possible through the federal stimulus package signed in December. Huges said the grant will be used to "focus on the most vulnerable residents in our community to assist them in avoiding eviction during the pandemic." Funds will be made available to pay for past due rents and utilities. "The plan is to process applications as quickly as possible to get funds in the hands of tenants and landlords who are suffering through this crisis," Huges said. Online applications opened March 1. The funds are available only to those who: Qualify for unemployment or has experienced a reduction in household income, incurred significant costs or experienced financial hardship due to Covid-19; Demonstrates a risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability, for example, has a past-due utility or rent notice, or an eviction notice; Has a household income at or below 80 percent of the area median income Applicants will be screened and certified through the county's Board of Social Services. The board will work with community partners to ensure eligible members get access to the resources to help them avoid homelessness. For more information, contact the Mercer County Board of Social Services at 609-389-3575, or email [email protected]. Social workers from the board are available Mondays through Fridays, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Landlords are encouraged to have their tenants apply for the program if assistance is needed. Thank you for reading. Have a correction or news tip? Email [email protected] Get breaking news alerts on your phone with our app. Download here. Sign up to get Patch emails so you don't miss out on local and statewide news.