Individuals and families who have problems paying their rent or mortgages due to the COVID-19 pandemic can seek assistance through a new program announced Monday by HAND, Inc. and the Hamilton County Township Trustee Association.
Davis
“Since March, there has been a pause in any eviction proceedings at both the state and federal level,” said Andrea Davis, executive director of Noblesville-based non-profit HAND Inc. “But individuals and families who have lost their jobs or suffered medically due to COVID are still responsible for full payment of their rent or mortgage. This program will allow us to help those at risk of eviction.”
The federal moratorium on evictions ended in late July, and Gov. Eric Holcomb said last week that he intends to allow the state moratorium expire on Friday, Aug. 14.
Danielle Carey Tolan, president of the Hamilton County Township Trustee Association, encourages all Hamilton County residents to seek assistance before their landlords initiate eviction proceedings.
Tolan
“Our goal is to keep people in their homes,” Tolan said. “We know that stable housing is critical for a child’s success in school and better health outcomes – both physical and mental – for all family members. This then reduces the burden on our many social services in the county.”
Residents who need assistance should connect with their local township trustee to assess the situation and determine the best sources of help. You can find your trustee at this link. (Click “accept”, enter your address and click “trustee” on the right). In keeping with COVID safe policies, begin the process by calling your trustee to set a phone appointment time.
Township trustees will assess the needs and coordinate with local non-profits to provide resources. Non-profits participating in this program include: Aspire Indiana, Family Promise of Hamilton County, Good Samaritan Network, HAND Inc., and Shepherd’s Center of Hamilton County. Funding partners include Hamilton County Community Foundation, Hamilton County’s Community Development Block Grant program, and United Way of Central Indiana through its COVID-relief funding from Lilly Endowment.
The state also is providing a total of $40 million in rental assistance. Applications for those funds are available at indianahousingnow.org.
“By pooling our resources in a coordinated way, we can stretch our funding to reach as many people as possible while providing a variety of services to families in need,” Davis said. “It is the smart way to work as a community to keep our community thriving for all our residents.”
To learn more, visit handincorporated.org.
About HAND
Founded in 2003, HAND Inc. addresses the housing needs of low- and moderate-income individuals, families and senior citizens in Indianapolis’ suburbs. HAND has been awarded a total of $390,000 in United Way’s C-CERF funding to provide rental assistance in Hamilton and Boone counties.