Governor Raimondo: Emergency rental assistance for Rhode Islanders

This crisis is hitting those who can least afford it the hardest. There are many folks out there who are finding themselves in difficult financial positions and are worried about paying their bills and affording a place to live. No one should have to worry about this right now.Today, I want to tell you about our new emergency rental assistance program to help Rhode Islanders get through this crisis.

I'm proud to announce that we have $1.5 million in emergency rental assistance available to low-income renters who have been impacted by the COVID-19 emergency and are at immediate risk of homelessness.Those who qualify can receive a grant of up to $5,000 to support past due rent payments and other fees.It's important to emphasize that this is for people who are already behind on their rent due as a result of COVID-19. It's my hope that this fund will allow us to alleviate the burden of the low-income workers who have been hit hardest by this crisis.

Starting today, you can go to HousingHelpRI.com to view the requirements and apply. If you don't have consistent access to the internet and have questions about the application process, you can call the United Way at 211 for more help.

This crisis is also affecting homeowners in Rhode Island, and so I also want to remind everyone that more than 20 financial institutions in RI have signed a pledge that provides relief to residential borrowers. All of the participating institutions are listed on the DBR website. As a reminder, they're offering:

This is a perfect example of people stepping up to do the right thing and help others in a time of need. That's what's going to get us through this crisis.

We've all had to sacrifice through this crisis in big ways and small ways, and I know that it's becoming more and more challenging every day to continue social distancing. We all miss seeing our friends and our extended families. However, we need to keep going. If we do, we're going to be in a better place to move along with our reopening, and throughout the summer we'll be able to safely get together with the people we love and miss. But we're not there yet. Please, do the right thing and continue to follow the stay at home order.

-Gina Raimondo

Governor

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