December 04, 2024
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McHenry County rental assistance program will be expanded with the help of new federal funds

County Board approves $7.8 million in federal funds to sustain the program through 2021 budget year

By Kelli Duncan
A vacant resident room awaits preparations for the next guest at Home of the Sparrow on Monday, June 22, 2020 in McHenry. The transitional housing shelter is currently experiencing severe financial hardship since the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic. To meet social distance precautions, the shelter is currently housing only one third of its normal capacity, a large majority of whom are domestic abuse survivors, while other clients are placed with family members or using county-issued motel vouchers. Their eight area thrift stores had been closed for months as well, but have recently reopened during Phase 3. The annual gala event, a primary source of annual funds, was canceled this year and donated items which would have been auctioned off at the event will be available during a special online auction beginning July 13 and lasting until July 23. Over 180 McHenry County businesses and individuals have donated over 270 items to be combined into over 80 themed baskets available for the auction on their website, www.hosparrow.org. The domestic abuse shelter is also in desperate need of volunteers. Their operations usually have around 1,000 volunteers, but most of them are among the at-risk age group and are unavailable to tend to community donations within the organizations' thrift shops. Another annual fundraising event, their annual golf outing, is tentatively set for Sep. 14 at Bull Valley Golf Club and attendees can register on the Home of the Sparrow website.

A vacant resident room awaits preparations for the next guest at Home of the Sparrow on Monday, June 22, 2020, in McHenry. (Matthew Apgar)

With the help of just more than $7.8 million in federal funding, McHenry County will expand its Emergency Utility and Rental Assistance Program to meet the immediate need of residents facing homelessness in addition to investing in affordable housing long term.

In the one month since applications for the rental assistance program opened, about 717 local renters and 216 landlords asked for help, McHenry County Board Vice Chairwoman Carolyn Schofield said in a written statement Wednesday.

“We had more applicants than we could fill the need for in that first round,” Schofield said. “We have yet to even see the full need in our county since the moratorium on rent has not yet been lifted.”

When the mandate blocking evictions during the COVID-19 pandemic is lifted, Schofield said the need for rental assistance in McHenry County will likely increase, meaning the additional $7.8 million will be put to good use in preventing homelessness in the months and years to come.

McHenry County Board members approved the acceptance of the money, which was allocated to the county through President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan, at a board meeting Tuesday night.

The assistance program was initially funded by $9.1 million in federal COVID-19 relief dollars and was launched in March, according to a news release sent out then.

“If you’ve fallen behind on your rent or utilities because of the COVID-19 pandemic, McHenry County is here for you,” County Board Chairman Michael Buehler said in the release.

To qualify, a household must be at or below 80% of their area’s median income. Households at 50% or lower than their area’s median income, people with dependents and seniors 62 and older will be prioritized, according to the release.

Residents must be able to demonstrate a loss of income or employment as a result of COVID-19in order to apply, according to the release. Immigration status is not a factor in determining eligibility.

This new federal grant is structured slightly different from the last round of funding as it can be used to provide case management services to residents and to invest in future affordable housing, rather than being limited to immediate rental assistance needs, Schofield said.

The county will determine how to go about providing long-term affordable housing when the need is clearer, which the program outlines to be after April 2022, she said.

For now, about half of the new funding will be used to continue the current program for residents who have an immediate need for utility or rental assistance, and roughly 25% will be invested into providing more affordable housing options in the future, she said.

An additional 10% of the funds will be given to local organizations addressing affordable housing and homelessness, such as Home of the Sparrow in McHenry.

“Home of the Sparrow was selected for the previous funding as they focus on homeless women and children,” Schofield said. In the first round of rental assistance applications, “priority was given to those with dependents, such as seniors and children.”

The other 15% of the new funds will cover operational costs associated with administering the grant, she said.

“In our county as we see across the country, the impact of [COVID-19] has been significant on everyone,” Schofield said. “This is going to be extremely beneficial because I think we truly don’t even know that impact yet because we’re still going through it.”

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