TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The state of Florida is set to receive around $850 million in rental assistance through the new COVID-19 relief package passed by Congress in late December.
Gov. Ron DeSantis made the announcement Tuesday, saying in a written statement that the state submitted confirmation to the U.S. Department of the Treasury that it will take part in the Emergency Rental Assistance Program.
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Cities and counties with a population of 200,000 and greater will receive funds directly from the U.S. Treasury for the program, according to the governor's office.
The state said final allocations have not yet been released, but it is anticipated that more than $850 million will be provided to Florida.
DeSantis said he expects a disbursement of funds to eligible areas of government to occur in the coming weeks.
State officials said households meeting the following criteria will be eligible for assistance:
- Qualifies for unemployment or has experienced a reduction in household income, incurred significant costs, or experienced a financial hardship due to COVID-19
- Demonstrates a risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability
- Has a household income at or below 80 percent of the area median income, with priority given to households below 50 percent of the area median income
The Emergency Rental Assistance program makes available $25 billion to assist U.S. households unable to pay rent and utilities due to the pandemic.
Click here to learn more about the program.