INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The pandemic has impacted local families and many are struggling to pay rent, but help is on the way. The Indianapolis City-County Council paved the way for a $7.5 million extension of the city’s rental assistance program.
There is currently a waitlist for rental assistance in Marion County. Those who need assistance should add their name to the list online. In mid-July, there were more than 10,000 applications in the first three days of opening the program.
Originally, the City-County Council approved $15 million for the program. The money came from the $80 million the city received from the federal CARES Act. The additional $7.5 million comes a week after Governor Eric Holcomb added another $15 million to the state rental assistance program, a separate program for Indiana’s other 91 counties. The state program now has a total of $40 million available to renters in the state except those in Marion County. The state’s program began July 13 and already has had more than 2,400 households apply.
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett suspended the rental assistance program in July because the demand was overwhelming. Tenants can still fill out the application online and will receive a notification when applications are reopened.
Those in Marion County interested in rental assistance can go to Indyrent.org. The funding proposed at the meeting Monday night will help clear the backlog.
