Manatee Residents May Apply for Rent, Mortgage Assistance

On Wednesday through Friday (June 10-12), Manatee County residents may apply for emergency help paying overdue rent, mortgage and utilities through the Manatee CARES Assistance Program. The county recently received approximately $1.3 million from the federal Housing and Urban Development Department and State Housing Initiative Partnership (SHIP) program to assist those with financial hardships as a result of the coronavirus and its economic impacts.

The county will disburse those funds for help with rent/mortgage and utility bills, as long as those expenses have not already been paid by insurance or another assistance program.

The funding is available to Manatee residents who have lost their job or lost significant income because of COVID-19. Eligible applicants may receive up to $1,500 per month for up to three months in most cases.

(Because Bradenton receives SHIP funds and federal funds, city residents are ineligible for Manatee CARES funding.) The application and more information on the program are available at mymanatee.org/ manateecares.

The application window will open Wednesday at 9 a.m. and close at 5 p.m. on Friday.

Thousands of local residents are expected to apply, but there is enough funding for about 250 households. For that reason, a lottery-style drawing will take place by June 16 to randomly determine the order in which applications will be reviewed.

Applicants who meet the minimum eligibility criteria will be notified by county staff. Most questions are addressed in the Manatee CARES at mymanatee.org/ manateecares.

If applicants have questions or need to speak to someone by phone about the application after they have reviewed the CARES FAQ, they can call the CARES Helpline at 941-745-6270 or email ***@***.***.