PRESS RELEASE

April 11, 2023

Contact

Andrea Harrison

[email protected]

360-416-1500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Skagit County Receives $2 Million Additional Rental Assistance Funds

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The Washington State Department of Commerce has made an additional $2 million of eviction prevention funding available for Skagit County residents. These allocations are the fourth round of funding provided by the state to address eviction prevention during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since September 2020, the County has spent more than $19.8 million in payments to landlords and local utilities to assist nearly 3,000 Skagit County households and avoid eviction.

"As we continue to navigate the economic fallout created by the COVID-19 pandemic, the additional funding for the Skagit County Rental Assistance Program will provide critical support to households struggling to make ends meet,? said Megan Starr, Housing Resource Coordinator at Skagit County Public Health. ?By ensuring that individuals and families have access to safe, stable housing, we can help to mitigate the far-reaching impacts of this crisis and build stronger, more resilient communities."

The Skagit County Rental Assistance Program, operated by Skagit County Public Health, provides financial assistance to income-eligible Skagit County renters who are struggling to afford rent and utilities through payments to landlords and utility companies. Renters can complete an application online at?www.skagitcounty.net/renthelp?or connect with Skagit Legal Aid for assistance in completing an application.?

Applicants must meet all of the following criteria to be eligible for Skagit County rental assistance:

1. Have a missed or past due rent payment not paid or partially unpaid since March 1, 2020, and still occupy the residence.
2. Household income is at or below 80% of the Area Median Income.
3. Household resides in Skagit County.

Eligible applicants with language or other barriers to completing an online?application or individuals who have received an unlawful detainer Complaint and Summons,?Eviction Resolution Pilot Program (ERPP) Notice,?or?Pay or Vacate Notice may contact Skagit Legal Aid for assistance by phone at (360) 230-8100 or by email at [email protected].?English, Spanish, and Mixteco speakers are available to assist.?

For more information about the Skagit County Rental Assistance Program, to check eligibility, or to apply for assistance, go to http://www.skagitcounty.net/renthelp or call (360) 416-1500.

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