The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

WALLA WALLA— Two funds made available by Congresses’ CARES Act can help decrease the housing cost burden for low-income renters and homeowners.

“Congress provided $5 billion in the CARES Act for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) made available to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus (CDBG-CV funds) program to states, metropolitan cities, urban counties, and insular areas,” according to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Available assistance through Walla Walla County and the City of Walla Walla can provide mortgage assistance for low-income homeowners for up to three consecutive months. The funding is specifically focused on helping those experiencing financial hardship related to Covid-19.

A second program, T-RAP (Treasury Rent Assistance Program), can help pay up to 12 months of the household’s rent or utility needs going back to March 2020. Qualifying residents of Walla Walla, Columbia, and Garfield counties may be eligible for T-RAP. This program is administered through the Washington State Department of Commerce.

According to the Washington State Department of Commerce website, the Treasury Rent Assistance Program (T-RAP) Grant is part of Washington State’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, intended to prevent evictions that contribute to the spread of the virus. The funds can be used to pay past due, current due, future rent, and utilities. It is intended to target those who have limited resources and have experienced financial hardship due to the COVID-19 outbreak and are at risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability,” says the Washington State Department of Commerce website.

Walla Walla county households earning under 80% of the Area Median Income as determined by the United States Department of Urban Development (HUD) may be eligible to receive assistance with rent, utilities, and mortgages through the program. This is approximately $40,950 for a one-person household or $58,500 for a four-person household.

The 2021 specifics, by household size, for Walla Walla County are as follows:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

40,950 46,800 52,650 58,500 63,200 67,900 72,550 77,250

BMAC has several additional programs to assist eligible households with financial hardships related to the Covid-19 virus including energy assistance and employment placement. “We are working hard to get assistance into the hands of our community, especially those who have experienced a greater financial burden because of COVID-19. Our hope is that this assistance will bring our neighbors back to a more stable place where they can stay in their homes and out of homelessness,” says Elizabeth Guerra, BMAC’s Community Services Director.

People who are interested in this assistance are encouraged to call the BMAC Main Office at 509-529-4980. Services are provided in both English and Spanish.