Manatee County to offer personalized assistance to those applying for rent help
Applicants can receive ERA help at three central locations
MANATEE COUNTY, FL (June 11, 2021) – Starting next week, Manatee County will offer one-on-one support to anyone who needs help applying for Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) funds which are being distributed to help those who have fallen behind on rent payments because of losses from the pandemic.
Beginning Wednesday, June 16, County staff will offer insight and help navigating the online application at three central locations: Downtown Central Library, Palmetto Library and Gulf coast Legal Services which is located in the CareerSource Suncoast building at 1112 Manatee Avenue East. The ambassadors at the two County libraries are bilingual, able to help both English and Spanish-speaking residents. Because dates, hours and locations may change based on turnout, full details for ERA help are being kept up-to-date at www.mymanatee.org/RentHelp
"The staff ambassadors out in the community is an idea that came about from our local non-profit agencies who suggested having someone available at convenient locations during a variety of hours -- including some evening and Saturday hours -- to help those who need help," said Geri Lopez, director of the Redevelopment and Economic Opportunity Department. "We're calling the staff representatives 'ambassadors' because they'll be there to help guide and assist applicants through the process and hopefully remove some of the confusion over applying."
To date, about 300 Manatee County applicants have been approved for Emergency Rental Assistance funds totaling $1.8 million.
Under the ERA, eligible renters may receive grant funds for up to 12 months of assistance, if needed, through November 2021, whichever is less. Funds are paid directly to the landlord for delinquent rent bills. Full details and the application portal can be found at www.mymanatee.org/renthelp
Applicants must be at or below 80 percent of the area median income (AMI), which is $43,850/year for a one-person household. Renters who are at or below 50 percent of the AMI ($26,800/year for a one-person household) are given priority, along with those who have documented unemployment for more than 90 days. This is based on the number of people living in your household and the total income for all in your household (including spouse, roommate, elderly parent, adult children, etc.).
For more information on Manatee County Government, visit www.mymanatee.org or call (941) 748-4501. You can also follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/manatee.county.fl and on Twitter @ManateeGov.