Another round of relief money is coming down the pike for Alaska renters.
The Alaska Housing Finance Corporation is again accepting applications for COVID-19-related relief starting Sept. 13. It's the latest in a string of relief programs from AHFC and the first to take place since the federal moratorium on evictions ended at the end of July.
Corporation spokesperson Stacy Barnes said AHFC is not yet sure how the end of the moratorium will impact need.
“But we do know that there are one third of all Alaska renter households who applied for the program last time, which was a much bigger number than I think anyone expected," she said.
Last spring, 30,000 Alaskans applied for relief from AHFC, including over 1,600 applicants in the Kenai Peninsula Borough.
The corporation has been paying landlords directly. Landlords said payments were sometimes slow to reach their accounts, both in Alaska and nationwide.
Barnes said by early September, AHFC had made payments for most eligible applicants from the last round.
This time, AHFC will cover up to three months of rent and utility payments. Funding goes directly to landlords and utility companies.
Barnes said it took the corporation some time to get the new program up and running.
“And now we've got a really good process in place where we’ve got 130 team members across the state who are processing applications and are ready to process the next round," she said.
To check your eligibility for the program, visit alaskahousingrelief.org. Applications are due Oct. 1.
