Mayor Krewson Seeking an Additional $2 Million in CARES Act Funding for Rental and Mortgage Assistance

Mayor Lyda Krewson today announced that she is asking the Board of Estimate and Apportionment to approve an additional $2 million in federal CARES Act funding to help City residents who need assistance with rental and mortgage assistance. The Board of E & A is set to meet on Wednesday, August 19.

“We acted fast to establish and announce our St. Louis City CARES program because we saw this need coming. And since its launch, we’ve been met with a tremendous amount of people looking to us for help,” said Mayor Krewson. “We recognize that housing is a human right and that because of the economic fallout of this pandemic, a lot of individuals and families are on the verge of becoming homeless or housing insecure through no fault of their own. One of the most important steps we can take right now is to keep them in their homes,” said Mayor Krewson.

On July 15, Mayor Krewson announced an initial investment of $5.4 million in CARES Act funding for rental and mortgage assistance for City residents, which also received approval from the Board of E & A. Under the St. Louis City CARES program, the Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Affordable Housing Commission have been working expeditiously in coordination with more than 15 local providers to process and distribute funding to qualified applicants.

Just this week, the City was able to keep some individuals in the eviction pipeline in their homes by beginning the landlord mediation process and making the first assistance payments. To date, more than 3,500 applicants have been determined to be eligible for financial assistance from the City. Assistance is limited to $3,500 per household.

Both tenants and homeowners in the City of St. Louis are eligible to apply. Applicants must also be able to demonstrate financial hardship due to COVID-19. Examples of this include lost wages due to lay off/furlough, delayed unemployment payments, doctor’s note demanding quarantine, medical hospitalization records, or other unique circumstances approved by DHS.

Forms of assistance that are available include rental arrears, rent payments, and mortgage payments under the following criteria:

• Rental arrears must be in the months of March-November of 2020. Up to three months of rental arrears can be paid per household.
• Rent payments must be for the months of July-December 2020. Up to three months of rent payments can be paid per household.
• Payments of past/current mortgage payments are allowed when there is no impending foreclosure proceedings or filings. Up to three months of mortgage payments can be paid per household.

Submission of an application is not a guarantee that your application process is complete. All applicants who submit this initial application will be contacted by a St. Louis City CARES provider who will schedule an appointment to discuss their personal circumstances, provide information about required documentation, and assist in the completion of the required forms. The provider will let applicants know if they are approved for assistance and the dollar amount of assistance to be provided.

To apply, please visit the St. Louis City CARES website to learn more information and begin the application process. If you do not have access to the Internet, please call (314) 657-1650 to receive an application.

On May 29, Mayor Krewson announced a $64 million funding package through the CARES Act and accessing other unique federal sources to address the health, humanitarian, and economic impacts of COVID- 19 on more than 300,000 St. Louisans. Though the Board of Aldermen passed this historic legislation on July 8, Mayor Krewson has been working intently across all departments for months to ensure the prompt delivery of vital resources like rental and mortgage assistance to the community.

The additional $2 million investment, if approved, would come from contingency funds allocated in Mayor Krewson’s original CARES Act funding package.