Those who live in Wisconsin who need help paying their rent do have programs they can turn to. The programs will help them get caught up, as well as get ahead. With the rent assistance programs that are in place, you won’t have to worry about being evicted or becoming homeless. One of the most popular programs is called Community Advocate Rent Assistance.
The Community Advocate Rent Assistance program will help people who live in Wisconsin when they have fallen behind in their rent. If you fall behind in making your rent payments, you will likely get an eviction notice. If you don’t bring the amount you owe up to a current balance, then you may end up getting evicted.
When people are evicted from the place they are renting, it can make it difficult to be able to get another place to move into. An eviction has a negative impact on your credit score, which could lead to being turned down when you apply for a rental. Through grants from Community Advocate Rent Assistance, you can bring your rent current and avoid the damaging situation of being evicted.
What to Know About Community Advocate Rent Assistance
If you have fallen behind on your rent, it may be possible to get help through grants. The grants are offered through the program called Community Advocate Rent Assistance. Being that they are grants, you will never have to pay them back. If you receive help through this rent assistance program, it is considered to be a gift.
Here are a few things to keep in mind about the Community Advocate Rent Assistance program:
- The funds from the program come from federal and local dollars. The goal in giving them to people is to help locals in need of financial support.
- This program is for residents in the areas of Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties in Wisconsin.
- The funds for this program go to help people with paying their rent. They prefer that the reason you fell behind is related to the pandemic. If you fell behind on your rent due to financial hardship that is related to the pandemic, then there is a good chance you will be approved for the grant to pay your rent.
- There is no fee to apply for help through the program. If someone is asking you to pay for an application fee or anything else, then it is not legitimate. The program is completely free.
- You have to be a renter in order to get a grant through Community Advocate Rent Assistance. You also must be behind in what you owe on your rent.
- You have to meet the low-income requirements in order to be approved for the program. This means that you have an income that is lower than 80% of the median income for the area.
- You have to have experienced a financial hardship due to the pandemic or a loss of income in the last two months.
What Community Advocate Rent Assistance Covers
The program will help with rent, as well as additional financial relief that you may need. They will provide you with a grant of up to 12 months of past rent that you owe. Additionally, they will provide you with three months of rent to help you get ahead. This will help to further ease the financial burden in the future.
The grant program will also help with such payments as a security deposit. If you need help paying for a security deposit so you can get approved for a rental they will provide you with it. They will also help you pay what you owe on back utility payments and help you avoid having your utilities disconnected.
If you decide to apply for Community Advocate Rent Assistance, you will need to show your state issued identification, show proof of your income and financial hardship, as well as any type of eviction notice. If you are approved for a grant through the program, it will be paid directly to your landlord, and your account will be credited.
To apply for a grant to help pay rent through Community Advocate Rent Assistance, you can apply online, or you can go in person to do it. Once you submit your application, it can take up to 30 days before you hear if it has been approved. You are not limited to applying for the grant. You can apply multiple times if you continue to experience financial difficulties and need rent payment assistance.