Lazaro Aleman
ECB Publishing, Inc.
Jefferson County has an unusual problem. It has $175,000 in CARES-Act money to give away to eligible residents and few takers so far.
In fact, of the handful of residents that have thus far applied, only one has qualified, according to Jay Moseley, senior consultant with Government Services Group, Inc. (GSG), the group hired by the county to administer the program.
The time to apply for the funding, moreover, is rapidly running out, and if no applications are received, the unused money will have to be returned, Moseley says.
Those eligible to apply for the funding are families or individuals who are facing either eviction or foreclosure or whose utility bills are behind. The program will also help individuals or families who need assistance with their rent payments or who are homeless and need a place to stay.
The only catch is that the eviction or foreclosure, or the inability to pay the utility bills or the state of homelessness derives from the COVID-19 pandemic. Meaning that applicants’ dire economic circumstances can be traced directly to the pandemic.
“They have to have suffered a financial setback directly related to the pandemic,” Moseley says. “If so, we can stop the eviction or foreclosure process and put them on an even level with their utility bills.”
Applications are scored on a points system, with a failure to provide all the required information cause for denial of the funding.
Noteworthy: Persons in mobile homes that were manufactured prior to 1994 are not eligible for the assistance. Also, priority for the funding will be given to individuals who have special needs, as defined by Florida law.
The reason for local officials’ urgency in promoting the program is that it has been around since Aug. 17 and so far only three applications have been received, of which one has been funded. The others are still in process.
Applications received in the coming weeks will be handled on a first-come, first-served basis as long as the funding remains available, according to Moseley. But he urges anyone who thinks that they may qualify to apply as soon as possible, as Dec. 30 is the absolute deadline when all remaining money must be turned back to the state and ultimately the federal government.
Passed by Congress and signed by the President in March of this year, the CARES-ACT aims to assist communities, as well as families and individuals, who are experiencing financial hardships due to a job or business loss that is directly tied to the coronavirus pandemic.
For an application to the funding or for more information about the program, call Moseley at GSG, (352) 381-1975.