FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 10, 2020
The $792,000 fund will provide short-term financial assistance to tenants and landlords in the City of Charlottesville in the form of rent payments
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - On June 15, 2020, Charlottesville City Council unanimously voted to create the Housing RELIEF Fund to address the City’s housing crisis due to COVID-19. The Fund, which totals $792,000, will provide short-term financial assistance to tenants and landlords in the City of Charlottesville in the form of rent payments. The program will focus on providing assistance to the following groups:
- Individuals residing in the City who were recently released from a correctional institution (from January 2020 to present).
- Individuals and households in the City that are experiencing homelessness, and more specifically, households with children under the age of 18.
- Landlords who have rental tenants that reside in the City and are at risk of experiencing homelessness due to nonpayment of rent as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Office of Economic Development, through the Downtown Job Center, will administer the funds. Those interested in the program will be required to complete an online application and meet with a Downtown Job Center representative (virtually) to determine eligibility. Individuals and families receiving funding will also be connected with other technical assistance such as financial literacy education, job search/placement assistance, and/or peer recovery support services.
The Housing RELIEF Fund will launch on Monday, July 13th. Below is an overview of how funds will be prioritized based on the tenant’s household income. Please note that regardless of the tenant’s household income, applicants can apply at any time once the application process is open. However, applicants with a gross household income above 50 percent of Area Median Income (AMI) will not be eligible for funding until the designated dates.
- Monday, July 13th to Friday, July 24th
- households with a gross household income at or below 50 percent of AMI
- Monday, July 27th to Friday, July 31st
- households with a gross household income at or below 51 percent to 60 percent of AMI
- Monday, August 3rd
- households with a gross household income at or below 61 percent to 80 percent of AMI
Beginning Monday, July 13, 2020, applications will be available online at www.charlottesville.gov/jobcenter. For those needing assistance with the application, please call us at 434-970-3117 to schedule a virtual appointment. Interest requests are being accepted now for anyone who would like to be notified as soon as the application is open. To complete an interest form, please visit
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/housingrelieffund. If you have questions or need additional information, please contact the Downtown Job Center at jobcenter@charlottesville.gov or 434-970-3117.
The Housing RELIEF Fund is a new initiative to rapidly deploy housing assistance during the COVID-19 crisis. It should not be confused with the Rent Relief for Elderly and Disabled Program that is administered by the Commissioner of the Revenue. Additional information on that program will be forthcoming.
Media Contact
Hollie Lee
Chief of Workforce Development Strategies
Office of Economic Development
City of Charlottesville
434-970-3117
leeh@charlottesville.gov
