Renters: Get help with utility bills

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, allocated Coronavirus Relief Fund dollars from the U.S. Treasury for emergency rental assistance. Team Kentucky’s program is described as follows. You may apply by reading through program information and creating an account at  https://teamkyhherf.ky.gov/ . 

Purpose

• Assist Kentucky tenants with RENT and/or UTILITIES to keep them housed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Allow landlords to get substantial payments for back rent.
• Reduce the volume of eviction cases in Kentucky courts.

Timelines

• Application portal opened on February 15, 2021.
• Assistance will be paid as lump sum payments to landlords and utilities.
• Assistance with back rent and utility bills can be calculated back to April 1, 2020.
• Applications will close when funds are exhausted or program funding expires.

Eligible Tenant applicants must meet ALL of the following:

• Tenants in any Kentucky county outside of Fayette County and Jefferson County.
• Experienced income reduction/loss or other economic hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Depending on past due bills, tenant applicants may seek assistance with rent, utilities, or both.
• IF SEEKING RENTAL ASSISTANCE: At risk of eviction as evidenced by a past due letter from landlord, a pending court eviction, eviction notice, or similar document
• IF SEEKING UTILITY ASSTANCE: Past due on utility payments as documented in the most recent utility bill. (Utilities paid by the landlord are not eligible for assistance.)
• Gross household income before taxes cannot exceed 80% Area Median Income (AMI). Click Here to look up monthly income limits or annual income limits.
• Are requesting assistance for their primary residence (address where the applicant lives and sleeps).
• If a tenant received some type of short-term assistance, this program cannot duplicate payment for a given month but can assist with rent for other months.
• If a tenant receives monthly rent subsidy (such as Section 8), they are not eligible for HHERF rent assistance but CAN get help with utilities.
• Those living with family and paying rent informally are not eligible.
• Those who own a trailer home and owe rent for a lot are eligible.

Learn more at https://teamkyhherf.ky.gov/