EASTHAMPTON — Renters who are at least one month late on their rental payments, or at immediate risk of falling behind, may be eligible for $3,000 in aid under the city’s new emergency rental assistance program.
Under the program, Easthampton households that make up to 100% of the area median income and have experienced at least one economic hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic can qualify if they are behind or about to become behind on rent.
The city established the program with $300,000 in funding from the Community Preservation Act. The City Council approved the allocation of funds towards the rent relief program at a meeting last June.
With the program, city officials hope to fill in financial gaps not being met by existing aid programs as the pandemic continues to strain people’s finances and health, Easthampton Mayor Nicole LaChapelle said.
“You have a person who makes $54,000 a year and can afford rent, and they’ve got their budget set, and they happen to work in a restaurant,” LaChapelle said. “So from March 16, 2020 to now, what is their income?”
In such a scenario, income is “substantially different,” LaChapelle said, and to make rent, people are “making choices about food and rent and medication while they’re trying to maybe find work or not, about filling the hole in their personal budget.”
Federal unemployment benefits don’t necessarily account for these financial losses, she added, and the city’s rental assistance program is intended to help residents account for these deficits.
“Every single dollar that we can get to anybody that has major holes in their personal budget, we need to do for a bunch of reasons,” LaChapelle said. “First and foremost, it’s public health and safety. People need to be able to access their health care plan. People need to be able to access healthy food. People need to have shelter.”
For a one person household, the maximum eligibility requirement of making 100% of the area median income works out to $59,800. This increases to $64,800 for a two-person household, $76,900 for a three-person household, and continues to incrementally increase. Information on income limits for households of up to eight people is available on the city’s website at easthampton.gov.
The state’s eviction moratorium expired in October, though a federal moratorium leaves some protections in place. But even if people who cannot make rent aren’t immediately in danger of losing their living space, they can still face a months-long backlog of payments once the moratorium has lifted, which LaChapelle also highlighted as a major concern.
While no immediate plans are in place, LaChapelle hopes that the city can one day extend the assistance program beyond the pandemic.
“It’s not like we disperse the $300,000 and everyone is OK,” LaChapelle said. “That’s just not the reality. I feel the need for this fund existed before COVID around affordability in Easthampton, and will exist way after.”
Residents can apply or ask questions by calling Community Action Pioneer Valley, which is administering the program, at 413-475-1570. The line is staffed from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, with a break from noon to 1 p.m., and callers may have to leave a message due to high call volumes.
Jacquelyn Voghel can be reached at jvoghel@gazettenet.com.