Covid-19 Rental Assistance

Cleveland Housing Network and Step Forwrd received funds in Apr 2020 as part of the initial stimulus package to provide financial assistance to tenants impacted by COVID.  If a tenant contracted COVID and was forced to take time off from work due to recovery or if the place where a tenant worked either closed or reduced hours due to COVID mandates by local or state governments, this was an opportunity to have rent covered.

There was an application process and landlord verification.  In June 2021, CHN began offering to pay the past due amount AND up to 3 future months (up to 6 months total) as a means to ensure the tenant was not evicted.

CHN and Step Forward have received additional funding in subsequent stimulus package(s).


When approached by a tenant moving in about vouchers, rental assistance, and up front payments from social service agencies, I highly scrutinize those programs.  A subject for another post, but it's been my experience these types of programs do not provide quality tenants or tenants who are able to sustain rent payments on their own.

CHN does have a process they go thru.  I do believe the process to be reputable enough that it is a fair process.  They have been hit with staffing issues (not surprising) and there was added delays with the holidays in late Dec 2021.  But, they have, for the most part, been responsive when I've asked for updates.

If they deny an application, they are upfront about it AND the reason why.  They don't sit on applications for months on end only to turn around and deny them.  That being said, there are certain pieces of info CHN needs from the tenants (ID for all residents, pay stubs and or unemployment info, etc).  If tenants fail to provide that info, the applications are denied.

This is 1 program where if you're patient to go thru the process, it will ideally be beneficial for owner and tenant.


Karen Bostwick, broker

(440) 590-5925

KarenMBostwick@yahoo.com

D&K Property Management Services

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