Duval County residents can now apply for rental and utility assistance

DUVAL COUNTY; Fla. – Duval County residents can start applying for rent or utility bill assistance starting Wednesday. This is a part of a program through the city of Jacksonville to help residents who lost income because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The program has more than $3 million left to aid people in need.

A household that is eligible for this help may receive money for up to a combined 12 months of past-due rent and/or utility bills. The federal assistance program has distributed more than $62 million since March 2021.

Related: Duval County to open up applications for $3M in federal rental assistance funding this week

As of Wednesday morning, 2,000 people had already applied.

Who qualifies is somewhat complicated. Here is a breakdown of who can get money.

How do I qualify?

Federal guidelines require qualifying individuals and families to have an income that falls below 80% of the (AMI). Priority must be provided to households that have incomes at or below 50% area median income or have one or more members who have been unemployed for at least 90 days. The income requirements are as follows:

In addition to the income prerequisite, applicants must be a resident of Duval County (this includes the Beaches and the Town of Baldwin) and meet all three of these qualifications:

• At least one person in the home must be on unemployment or saw a loss of income during the pandemic
• You can demonstrate a risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability, including past-due rent or unsafe living conditions
• A household income less than 80% of the area median income, which is $46,850 for a single person.

The city says anyone not eligible should contact United Way for information on other local rental assistance programs.

Applications will be accepted starting at 8 a.m. on Wednesday and will close at 5 p.m. on Dec. 5. You can access the application at coj.net/erap or text APPLY to 211904 to access the application.

That application will stay open until Monday, Dec. 5 at 5 p.m.