$175M available soon to Pa. renters, mortgage holders struggling with payments

Applications will be accepted starting Monday for $175 million in assistance for Pennsylvania mortgage holders and renters who are struggling to make payments during the coronavirus pandemic as an end to a moratorium on evictions looms.

Residents who have lost a job or saw at least a 30% decrease in their pay as a result of the pandemic are eligible if they meet income guidelines, said Robin Wiessmann, director and CEO of the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Authority.

“We know firsthand … that people are in need, and we do hear from people that are very concerned about losing their houses or their rental space,” she said Wednesday.

A statewide ban on evictions is set to lift July 10. Senators involved in a news conference Wednesday suggested the moratorium could be extended, given the funding program.

The payments for approved applications will be directed to landlords, property management companies or lenders, she said. Renters will be eligible for $150 million, and $25 million will be reserved for mortgage holders.

The final day applications will be accepted is Sept. 30, and all of the money must be spent by November, Wiessmann said.

The funding is part of the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act. County-level organizations across the state are processing the renter applications, which Wiessmann said she hopes will be done “expeditiously.”

In Westmoreland, Union Mission of Latrobe will handle applications. In Allegheny, applications should be sent to the county department of economic development.

The state authority will handle applications from mortgage holders.

More than 2 million people have filed unemployment claims since mid-March as state and health officials ordered closures of businesses and industries that lasted for weeks. Most of the state has reopened under a three-tiered plan, but many are still feeling the effects of the closures.

State Sen. Art Haywood, D-Montgomery/Philadelphia, said the funding could help residents in danger of losing their homes.

“We know that rental assistance is needed across the Commonwealth, we know that mortgage assistance is needed across the Commonwealth,” he said. “We know that this is a statewide challenge that we hope we can meet in part with these resources.”

State Sen. Vincent Hughes, D-Philadelphia/Montgomery, hinted the eviction ban could be extended.

“We’re still in a pandemic … and we see growth in the virus, and so putting people out on the street is not necessarily the best thing to do in that environment,” Hughes said. “I anticipate you’ll hear some more public action from our caucus within the very near future on this. I’m hoping the best senses of everyone will prevail and not go down the path of eviction and foreclosure.”

To access applications and filing information, visit phfa.org/pacares.