Westmoreland County reopens rental assistance program

Nov. 14—Westmoreland County will reopen its program to assist low-income renters with monthly bills and housing costs.

Finance director Meghan McCandless said the county has allocated the final $80,000 left over from the program along with another $727,000 earned through bank interest over the last three years again offer rental assistance to residents.

The program, funded through federal funds related to covid-relief, shuttered last November but will begin to accept new applications starting Friday.

"As we reopen we are in position to assist people we haven't been able to help in the past," said Dan Carney, the director of the Union Mission in Latrobe, the agency appointed by county commissioners to administer the rental assistance. "This program has been very successful and we've seen reach in our community in cases where people don't have access to other programs."

Since 2021 the county spent more than $37 million in federal funds to help residents who experienced financial stress as a result of the pandemic to pay the rent and monthly utility bills.

Officials previously estimated that Westmoreland County has about 35,000 rental units, and 57% of those renting households, or nearly 20,000, meet financial eligibility requirements for the program.

Implementation of the rental assistance program was initially a struggle. The county in 2022 returned to the federal treasury more than $10 million in unspent funds, claiming red tape caused restrictions and eligibility requirements rendered that money unusable before guidelines were eventually loosened.

Carney said 3,122 households received assistance during the three years of the program's operation. Participating families received an average of just more than $7,000 in funding during the course of the program that provided assistance for up to 18 months per recipient.

Renters with an annual income below 80% of the county's medium earning level can qualify for the grants. Carney said a family of four with an income of $80,950 is eligible for assistance. Applications can be found on the county's website at erapwestmoreland.org/ .

Carney estimated the reopened program will be able to help 200 households and allow them to receive assistance for two to three months.

He said families continue to experience financial hardship that has impacted their ability to pay rent and their monthly bills. The program also benefits landlords to ensure they earn income from their rental properties, Carney said.

"We've seen increases in homelessness in Westmoreland County and we're hoping these funds will sure that up a little bit," Carney said.