ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind. – St. Joseph County and the City of South Bend have created the Emergency Rental Assistance Program to give financial help to renters negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

This new program can provide eligible tenants with up to 12 months of assistance, retroactively to April 2020. Qualifying applicants could also receive utility assistance.

The goal of the program is to decrease evictions, increasing housing availability, and prevent homelessness in the county by helping tenants get caught up on their past-due rent payments.

The program is available for both tenants and landlords to cover past due rent expenses where tenants have fallen behind on paying because of the pandemic.

The Indiana Parenting Institute of St. Joseph County, REAL Services, Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Ft. Wayne – South Bend, United Religious Community of St. Joseph County, and St. Vincent de Paul Society are all able to help St. Joseph County residents apply for the grant.

For more information on the program, including the online application form, click here.