HARRISBURG, Pa., Aug. 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- After six
weeks of administering CARES financial assistance for renters and
homeowners, the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency is providing an
update on the progress of both programs, which have been accepting
applications since July 6.
Renters' Relief
As of Aug.
14, the CARES Rent Relief Program (RRP) has received 14,074
applications from renters who are using receipt of unemployment
compensation as their method to qualify for assistance. PHFA is
providing a county-by-county breakdown of these numbers. The
processing of these applications is being managed by organizations
in all 67 counties, and the data being provided today comes from
these groups. A map is also provided by PHFA showing the
distribution of these renters' applications statewide. (Renters can
also use a 30% drop in income to qualify for assistance.)
For the CARES RRP, the counties were asked to provide data they
have collected from July 6 through July
31. A summary of key points taken from that data provides
these insights:
Applications from Renters…………………………9,988
Applications from Landlords……………………..5,761
CARES RRP Assistance Requested.……………$37.7M
Renters Assisted…………………………………………866
Landlords Assisted……………..………………………195
CARES RRP Assistance Disbursed.………………$465,442
Homeowners' Relief
The Pandemic Mortgage Assistance Program (PMAP) has received 1,619
applications, and PHFA is providing a county-by-county
breakdown of that data. (The total for the counties'
data does not match the official total of 1,619 because some mailed
applications are not yet in the database.) Of these total
applications, 1,245 were completed online and 374 were completed on
paper and mailed to the agency. PHFA is overseeing the processing
of all the homeowner applications.
"Considering the parameters of these two projects as established
by the state's CARES legislation, I think the number of
applications we have received so far is what we would expect," said
PHFA Executive Director and CEO Robin
Wiessmann. "Our main concern is the large number of
incomplete applications the counties and PHFA are receiving, and we
are already taking steps to address that.
"During the last two weeks, we've made a number of changes where
we can. For instance, we've added application checklists to both
programs' websites and, on the renters' site, we posted a
four-minute informational video with tips for submitting complete
applications. We're hopeful these steps, and others, will help, and
we will continue to work with the counties to identify ways to make
the process operate more smoothly.
"Another challenge we've noticed is that some people don't have
easy access to a computer or printer. We've helped those callers by
mailing them applications and, in some cases, we've mailed multiple
applications for landlords and renters to share with others in
their building. As of August 11,
we've responded by mail to 839 requests for applications, and 759
of those were from renters.
"Unfortunately, we think some of the factors holding back
participation in both relief programs are requirements built into
the legislation. For instance, the $750 limit on monthly rent relief is, we believe,
keeping many landlords from participating. The September deadline
for applying should be extended, too, to help more people submit
applications. These and other topics are items we hope can be
addressed in amendments to the state's CARES Act.
"On a positive note, phone conferences between PHFA and our
partner county organizations are bearing fruit. These weekly
discussions are helping provide the counties with useful
information and support, and PHFA is gaining valuable feedback for
us to make improvements on our end."
Background Information
PHFA is continuing its marketing of both programs to raise
awareness across the state, and the counties are helping with
promotional efforts about CARES renters' assistance. Renters and
homeowners who are behind on their housing payments are encouraged
to apply for assistance by visiting www.PHFA.org/PaCARES to learn
more. A link to a Spanish webpage with CARES applications and
resources for renters and homeowners is available there, as well.
PHFA is requesting help from the news media to promote both relief
programs through September so as many renters and homeowners as
possible can be helped.
The federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security
(CARES) Act, passed in March, provided $3.9
billion for Pennsylvania
and is intended to help people hurt economically during the
pandemic. In late May, the General Assembly directed $175 million of these CARES dollars to PHFA to
provide assistance for struggling renters and homeowners. The
portion for rent assistance is at least $150
million, and $25 million was
set aside for mortgage assistance.
During June, in a period of about four weeks, PHFA developed two
detailed, statewide programs for distributing this financial
assistance quickly to renters and homeowners in need, while
carefully following legislative requirements. This effort included
extensive coordination with the organizations in all 67 counties
that are processing the renters' applications. The CARES Renter
Relief Program and the Pandemic Mortgage Assistance Program were
both launched on schedule on June 29,
as was required in the state CARES Act.
"We think with some adjustments to the CARES Act it is possible
that we can get all this financial assistance into the hands of
Pennsylvanians so that it can achieve the most good," Wiessmann
added.
Resources for Applicants
Applicants with questions about the CARES Rent Relief Program
should reach out to the organization in their county that is
processing applications. A county contact list with phone numbers,
emails and street addresses is available on the RRP webpage at:
https://www.phfa.org/pacares/rent.aspx. Some of the county
organizations to which CARES applications are submitted also have
webpages offering useful information. Philadelphia and Allegheny counties have online applications so
renters can apply electronically.
Questions from homeowners about PMAP should be directed to PHFA.
The agency's call center is available weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to assist the public and help
with questions about the program. The toll-free number is
1-855-U-Are-Home (827-3466). Callers should listen for the prompt
mentioning CARES assistance for homeowners. Of course, PHFA is also
getting calls from renters and is assisting them, too. In late June
and early July, PHFA was getting more than 1,000 calls a day from
renters and homeowners with questions about both relief
programs.
In accordance with the state CARES Act, this funding for renters
and homeowners must be completely distributed by Nov. 30, 2020.
About PHFA
The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency works to provide affordable
homeownership and rental housing options for older adults, low- and
moderate-income families, and people with special housing needs.
Through its carefully managed mortgage programs and investments in
multifamily housing developments, PHFA also promotes economic
development across the state. Since its creation by the legislature
in 1972, it has generated more than $14.8
billion of funding for more than 179,850 single-family home
mortgage loans, helped fund the construction of 136,215 rental
units, distributed more than $109.2
million to support local housing initiatives, and saved the
homes of more than 50,300 families from foreclosure. PHFA programs
and operations are funded primarily by the sale of securities and
from fees paid by program users, not by public tax dollars. The
agency is governed by a 14-member board.
Media contact:
Scott
Elliott
selliott@phfa.org
717-649-6522 (cell)
View original content to download
multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/phfa-provides-update-about-cares-assistance-to-pa-renters-and-homeowners-301112848.html
SOURCE Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency