Latino Community Fund offering emergency rental assistance to families struggling due to COVID-19

Nov. 12--The Latino Community Fund of Washington is looking to award almost $400,000 in emergency rental assistance to Yakima County households -- and U.S. citizenship is not an eligibility requirement.

In September, the Board of Yakima County Commissioners and the Yakima County Human Services Department earmarked close to

$2.9 million for rental assistance. The funds came from the Washington State Department of Commerce, the federal CARES Act, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The human services department noted that 43% of renters in Yakima County are considered "cost-burdened," meaning that at least 30% of the household income goes toward paying rent.

Cristina Ortega, the manager of civic engagement and advocacy for the Latino Community Fund, said the organization already has disbursed about $100,000 of the initial allotment, paying 60 rents for about 30 households.

That leaves about $385,000 waiting for applicants, she said.

"We can offer rental assistance for up to six months," she said. "We definitely want to help families, and families with children, but I'm not being picky. I want to help everyone."

To be eligible, applicants must meet two screening criteria: Their household income must be less than 80% of the area's median income, and they must have missed at least one rental payment, or partial rental payment, since March 1.

Ortega emphasized that being a U.S. citizen is not a requirement to receive the rental assistance.

"Our goal here is to empower our community, to advocate for them, to always be there for them," she said. "This is our way to take that stress away."

The program ends Dec. 31, so applicants should get their information submitted as soon as possible, she said.

For more information, email Ortega at cristina@latinocommunityfund.org.

Reach Lex Talamo at ltalamo@yakimaherald.com or on Twitter: @LexTalamo.

___

(c)2020 Yakima Herald-Republic (Yakima, Wash.)

Visit Yakima Herald-Republic (Yakima, Wash.) at www.yakima-herald.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.