Only 11% of emergency rent money distributed in Westmoreland County

About 11% of nearly $13 million in emergency rental and utility bill funds has been disbursed to Westmoreland County residents who experienced hardship because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Dan Carney, executive director of Union Mission of Latrobe, said about $1.5 million was directed to 270 applicants over the past three months. Another 45 are awaiting payment. The organization was tapped to manage the county’s portion of funds received under the federal Emergency Rental Assistance Program. Carney said 592 applications have been received since the program opened in mid-April.

“We’ve got a really good distribution through the county,” he said.

To be eligible, households must have an income at or below 80% of the area median income and some type of financial hardship resulting from the coronavirus pandemic. The household must be either delinquent on rent and/or utility bills or have the inability to afford next month’s rent.

Union Mission was selected by the county commissioners to handle the funding. Carney said some parts of the county, such as the Mon Valley, New Kensington and Route 30 corridor, had higher needs than others — which was expected.

So far, applicants got an average of nine months of assistance worth $5,400.

There were 119 applications that were denied, either because they didn’t meet the income threshold or there wasn’t a pandemic-related hardship. Carney is hoping to get the word out about the money to help more people, especially as the end is looming to a nationwide ban on evictions to help tenants who are unable to make rent payments during the pandemic.

“Our goal is to really look at other ways we can get the word out,” Carney said.

The Biden administration in late June extended the moratorium, for what it said was the final time, to July 31.

Carney said he thought there might be a spike in calls and applications at the end of the month, just like there was in late June when the moratorium was supposed to end. He is hoping, if the ban does end July 31, local courts will work with the agency in an effort to keep people in their homes.

“We’re still getting applications, and we’re still getting phone calls for assistance,” he said.

Agencies managing the funds are required to submit a report at the end of September detailing how much money has been spent and is obligated to applicants, Carney said. The deadline to spend the money is Dec. 31.

Applications from renters and landlords are being accepted online at theunionmission.org/erap. Anyone who cannot complete the application online can call Union Mission at 724-539-3550 for a mailed copy. Applicants will need a series of documents to apply for aid, such as a rental agreement, eviction notice, if applicable, and proof of income or financial hardship from the pandemic.

Landlords are able to apply on behalf of tenants through the website.