Struggling to pay bills or facing eviction due to pandemic? These events offer help
Renters in Beaufort and Jasper counties in danger of being evicted or late on utility bills due to the COVID-19 pandemic will soon have an in-person opportunity to apply for emergency financial assistance.
The state’s housing finance and development authority, SC Housing, will host an event in Ridgeland on Saturday to help Lowcountry tenants submit applications for a $272 million program that’s focused on keeping South Carolinians in their homes as the coronavirus spreads.
Eligible applicants could receive up to 12 months of assistance with late rent and/or utility payments dating back to March 13, 2020. Some people may qualify for up to three months of future rent assistance. The program also helps residents cover moving expenses or motel stays if they were displaced by the pandemic.
The program, which is called SC Stay Plus, is funded by the federal Consolidated Appropriations Act, a $2.3 trillion spending bill that Congress passed in late December.
The SC Housing event on Saturday will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Antioch Education Center at 7557 W. Main St. in Ridgeland. You can register for an appointment by calling (843) 815-1570.
Tenants should bring a valid ID, documentation of a lease, lease arrangement or payments to a landlord, and proof of income, like a pay stub from the past 60 days or a federal tax return from 2020.
Residents originally had to submit more paperwork to gain access to the money when the SC Housing program first launched in May, said Chris Winston, a spokesman for the authority.
“It definitely slowed things down early on,” Winston said.
Tenants, though, can now self-attest to being eligible for the statewide program, he said, and no longer need to submit documents to SC Housing like layoff notices or unemployment letters.
Renters qualify for the $272 million program if they have experienced a financial hardship due to COVID-19, have demonstrated a risk of homelessness or housing instability, and have a household income at or below 80% of the area’s median income, adjusted by family size.
There’s still plenty of money available, said Winston, who hopes the Ridgeland event can help rural residents with limited access to technology.
SC Housing has obligated only about $22.3 million of the program’s funds so far, and another $50 million to $60 million has recently been requested by applicants, Winston said on Monday.
That means at least $185 million is still available to tenants in South Carolina, including those reeling from the recent end of the federal moratorium on evictions.
Other assistance
SC Stay Plus representatives will be at the Beaufort County Library system’s Beaufort branch, 311 Scott St., from Monday through Saturday, Sept. 25 to help tenants fill out funding applications. The help will be available from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.
The representatives also will be at the branch from Monday, Sept. 27 to Thursday, Sept. 30 between 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. each day.
This story was originally published September 13, 2021 at 1:54 PM.
