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The Center Square

Spokane residents snap up $5.5M in rental, utility assistance funds

Cities such as Spokane have received state funds to help people catch up on past due rent and utility bills after economic losses brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sara Cline/AP Images

(The Center Square) - One of three emergency rent assistance application portals in Spokane is closing at 5 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 19, due to an exhaustion of funds.

LiveStories, a nonprofit that accommodates all eligible city tenants and landlords, is closing the portal it opened Aug. 11. That portal and two others was opened to accept applications for funds after the city receive $5.5 million from the state Department of Commerce.

LiveStories reported the receipt of more than 500 applications from people seeking help catching up on late rent and utility payments.

Still open is the Family Promise of Spokane portal that accepts applications for households with minor children. Also still open is the Carl Maxey Center, which prioritizes applications from African Americans and other people of color.

“The city is doing everything it can to quickly get out rental assistance resources that helps keep people in need housed as they recover from financial hardships presented by the pandemic,” Mayor Nadine Woodward said in a written statement to announce the LiveStories portal closure.

“We anticipated this type of demand and encourage eligible applicants in the other two categories to apply before funding runs out.”

Online applications can be submitted at my.spokanecity.org. The Carl Maxey Center and Family Promise also accepting paper applications.

To date, the city has distributed about $33 million through the Eviction Rent Assistance Program since June 2021, which has benefitted more than 6,500 households.

To qualify, applicants must have a household income at or below 80% of the area median income. For example, $47,150 for a one-person family, $67,300 for a four-person family.

Applicants must reside within the city limits, have a past due rent payment since March 1, 2020, and still be occupying the residence.

“This funding is keeping people in need housed while they get back on their feet as they overcome the financial hardships brought on by the pandemic,” Woodward said Aug. 11. “The city has worked quickly over the past year to get rental assistance out to those who need it most.”