30 Mar Rent and Utility Assistance in Greene County | What You Need to Know

This is an excerpt from a story published by KY3’s Kaitlyn Schumacher on March 25, 2021. To watch/read the full length story, visit the KY3 website.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) – Greene County received more than $8 million in emergency rent and utility assistance from the stimulus package that passed in December 2020.

Last week, that money became available for those who qualify.

So far, the county has received more than 2,000 phone calls from those in need of assistance. In the last two weeks, 76 households have completed the application process. 42 of those have received assistance, the county expects the remaining 34 to be awarded next week.

“This is a process, and it’s laid out very clearly for us. We have to follow that process step-by-step. We have to provide a lot of documentation and we have to do it very methodically. As much as we want to get these dollars out into the community to folks that we know very well need them, we have to follow that process,” says Greene County Commissioner Bob Dixon.

To be eligible for assistance you must meet one of the following criteria

• Qualifies for unemployment or has experienced a reduction in household income, incurred significant costs, or experienced a financial hardship due to COVID-19;
• Demonstrates a risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability; and
• Has a household income at or below 80 percent of the area median income.

Since Greene County received the funds from the National Treasury six organizations in Springfield are working together to distribute that money. To receive the assistance you will need to call one of these organizations.

• Catholic Charities of Southwest Missouri
• Community Partnership of the Ozarks
• Consumer Credit Counseling Services
• Council of Churches
• OACAC
• Salvation Army