Behind on Rent? You May Qualify For Help Starting Monday

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STATEWIDE -- If you've lost your job or a chunk of your income to the pandemic, a rent assistance program starts taking applications Monday.

Indianapolis and the state of Indiana have set up separate assistance programs using $40 million in federal CARES Act relief money. Indianapolis received an additional $3.5 million from the Lilly Endowment. Mayor Joe Hogsett says the city expects to help up to 11-thousand families who are having trouble making payments because of income lost to the pandemic.

The city and state programs both provide help for either unpaid back rent or upcoming payments -- the state program covers up to four months, while the city program covers up to three months. There's no income limit -- you just have to show you've lost your job or part of your income since the pandemic started in March.

Hogsett says the money may go quickly. He says he hopes it'll keep families above water for the next two or three months while the city works on plans for further help.

Landlords aren't required to participate in the city or state program. Hogsett says Indy will soon roll out a backup grant program to find new housing for people if their landlords turn them down.

Governor Holcomb has banned evictions statewide through the end of July.

Indianapolis residents can apply for assistance at indyrent.org. For the rest of the state, it's indianahousingnow.org.