Rental and Utility Bill Assistance For Tampa Area Residents

If COVID-19 has done a number on your wallet, there's some help out there for you. The City of Tampa tweeted this morning about the ongoing support offered by the Rapid Response Recovery Assistance Program. There were a lot of these programs a year ago today back when coronavirus shut downs began to happen. But help is still out there to pay rent and utilities if you meet the criteria.

Tampa area residents who are at or below 80% of the AMI (Area Median Income) can apply for financial help. You also can get some money if you have had no income for the past 90 days. Landlords can even apply for the help if they want to be proactive and receive funds directly on behalf of their tenants. The amount of money offered is based on your income up until your wage losses began and how many are in your household. The help they provide can cover up to a year of past due rent starting on March 13 of 2020.

The help is offered on a first come, first served basis. They accept 1,000 completed applications each week. Once 1,000 completed applications have been submitted, the online portal closes. That number resets every Monday.

For more information about the program, you can call (866) 375-9114. The number is staffed weekdays from 8AM to 6PM. To apply for the financial assistance online, go to: r3.hcflgov.net.

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