Louisville Residents Could Be in Line for $27 Million in Stimulus Aid

Tenants who are struggling to catch up on rent could get some relief.

The COVID-19 outbreak didn't just spur a major health crisis. It also spurred a financial crisis that many Americans are still trying to recover from.

In early 2020, millions of people lost their jobs, or saw their incomes drop, when non-essential businesses were forced to shutter. Those without money in savings may have instantly fallen behind on their housing payments, among other bills.

Thankfully, lawmakers put a federal eviction ban in place to prevent landlords from kicking tenants out of their homes on the basis of non-payment. But that ban expired last year, and now, many Americans risk homelessness in the absence of being able to pay.

The good news is that some states and cities still have rent relief funds available for residents who are behind on their housing payments. Louisville, Kentucky is one of them.

Recently, the city announced that it's getting $27 million to be used for emergency rental assistance purposes. And residents of the city who are behind on rent are urged to apply for a piece of that aid.

An important lifeline

So far, a good 42,000 Louisville residents have received rental assistance funds, and the city has given out over $96 million to help tenants stay in their homes. Now, the city has the capacity to accept and process more applications thanks to this recent round of funding.

How to qualify for rent relief

Because rent relief programs are being run at the state or local levels, there are slightly different guidelines that come into play in terms of qualifying for aid. But if you're a resident of Louisville and are behind on your rent payments, you may qualify for assistance if you can certify to one of these things:

• You or someone in your household has experienced job loss during the pandemic.
• You or someone in your household has experienced a reduction in hours or a drop in wages.
• You or someone in your household has incurred additional expenses in the wake of the pandemic.

You may also qualify for rental assistance if you can certify to the fact you've experienced another type of negative impact since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak.

You'll also need to provide proof of income as part of your application. And you'll need a copy of your most recent rental agreement, as well as notices of past-due rent if they apply to you.

In addition to rental assistance funds, the city of Louisville also has programs in place to help residents who are struggling with utility costs. It pays to look into those programs if you're at risk of having your utilities disconnected due to a lack of payment.

While many people have, thankfully, recovered financially from the pandemic at this point, some people are still trying to work their way out of that hole. You shouldn't hesitate to explore your options for relief if your financial picture is looking far from rosy despite the broad economic progress that's been made since spring 2020.