Assistance Programs for Renters and Homeowners
Application Period Opens March 29
Iowa COVID-19 impacted renters and homeowners will be able to apply for assistance with rent and mortgage payments through two assistance programs beginning Monday, March 29 at 2:00 p.m. Program details can be found at IowaHousingRecovery.com.
Assistance for Renters
The Iowa Rent and Utility Assistance Program will provide eligible COVID-19 impacted renters with rent and/or utility assistance for a total of up to 12 months.
General eligibility requirements require that applicants:
- Be current renters earning no more than 80% of their county’s area median income
- One or more individuals in the household must have either qualified for unemployment benefits or have experienced a documented financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic
- Can demonstrate a risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability which may include a past due utility or rent notice or eviction notice.
Full program details and an eligibility precheck are available under Assistance for Renters at IowaHousingRecovery.com. Renters in need of assistance are encouraged to take the eligibility precheck to see if they meet initial eligibility criteria.
Polk County and the City of Des Moines is administering the program locally. Therefore, Iowans residing in either Polk County or the City of Des Moines will be ineligible to apply for the Iowa Rent and Utility Assistance Program. More information on the program that may assist Polk County and City of Des Moines residents is available here.
Assistance for Homeowners
The Iowa Homeowner Eviction Prevention Program will be reopened to provide eligible COVID-19 impacted homeowners at imminent risk of eviction with mortgage assistance for up to four months, with a maximum assistance per household of $3,600.
The short-term program will be available until funds are exhausted or a new federal program is launched. Program funding is provided through federal CARES Act funds. Program eligibility details are available under Assistance for Homeowners at IowaHousingRecovery.com