GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Behind on rent or facing eviction? There’s a new resource that could help you out.
A state moratorium on evictions is set to expire July 15th, but with new funding the state hopes thousands of people can get their rent issues resolved before it comes to that.
“The goal of this is really just to keep people in their housing during this critical time.” MSHDA Chief Housing Solutions Officer Kelly Rose said.
More than $50 million has been made available to the state’s Eviction Diversion Program.
“This program is geared toward helping landlords and tenants that are going through the eviction process within the courts. There's $50 million of rental assistance available, to help pay for back rent the tenants haven't been able to pay, and to avoid the eviction process,” Rose explained.
Renters who make below the median income level in their area can qualify to get assistance for rent missed after March 1st.
“In Kent County, a family of four, the median income is about $80,000. So if they're below that income level they'll qualify for the program there, there's three different income brackets within the program that kind of vary in terms of how much subsidy, how much rental assistance they'll qualify for,” Rose explained.
“At the higher income levels, there's a little bit more of a tenant contribution, a tenant copay that's part of that,” she added.
The state believes this money can help thousands of families avoid eviction and stay in their homes.
We really think it's beneficial for both tenants and landlords, and we think this program can assist probably 20-25,000 families across the state.