North Carolina Emergency Rental Assistance Programs

North Carolina CARES+ Programs:

• North Carolina Eviction Prevention and Utility Payments Program

Approximately $94 million of the funding will be disbursed by the North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency (NCORR) to support rental and utility payments and prevent evictions for those with a demonstrated need. The funding will be distributed to eligible community agencies around the state that will work directly with North Carolinians on an application and disbursement process. 

• Asheville Rental Assistance: City of Asheville

Asheville’s Affordable Housing Committee anticipates receiving almost $400,000 to help people at risk of being evicted because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Homeward Bound and Pisgah Legal Services are responsible for dispersing the money. The amounts that have been awarded are $195,000 to Pisgah Legal Services and $200,000 to Homeward Bound.

• Emergency Income Assistance: City of Burlington

The City of Burlington is allocating some of its CDBG-CV funding secured through the CARES Act to residents and local non-profits to help with utility, rental or mortgage payments and funding micro business loans. he city has granted funding to three local non-profit organizations to offer further assistance to residents. Non-profits were chosen from grant applications submitted to the city earlier this year. Allied Churches of Alamance County can offer rental assistance, the Women’s Resource Center in Alamance County and CityGate Dream Center can offer rental, mortgage and electric or natural gas utility payment assistance.

• Dorcas Ministries Housing Assistance: Town of Cary

In partnership with Dorcas Ministries, the Town of Cary provides emergency housing assistance to residents who find themselves in a temporary financial crisis. Residents can apply for financial support on past due rent payments as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Trained staff interview each applicant to determine how the program can best assist.

• COVID-19 Relief Program: Catawba County

Families or individuals experiencing a financial hardship with paying their mortgage, rent, utilities or other expense due to the COVID-19 pandemic may apply for financial assistance through the COVID-19 Relief Program. Applications will be available through Eastern Catawba Cooperative Christian Ministry (ECCCM) beginning July 1, 2020.

• Housing Assistance Program: Town of Chapel Hill

The Town of Chapel Hill is accepting donations to assist low-income residents with emergency housing assistance. The program provides low-income residents in urgent need of rent and mortgage assistance with a one-time payment of up to $4,000.

• City of Charlotte Emergency Rent Assistance Program

The City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County is proud to partner with The Housing Partnership to provide rent and mortgage relief to those who have been impacted by COVID-19.

• Cooperative Christian Ministry:  City of Concord 

City Council has approved distributing funding (April 21, May 14, June 11, August 13) to organizations who are meeting immediate needs for Concord residents, to assess their individual COVID-19 related needs totaling $‭400,339‬. $18,500 are allocated to rental assistance distributed by Cooperative Christian Ministries.

• CDBG-CV Emergency Rental Assistance Program: City of Durham

The City of Durham has partnered with Durham County and Legal Aid of NC to use special Community Development Block (CDBG-CV) funding from federal CARES Act for emergency rental assistance.

• Fayetteville COVID-19 Relief Program

The City of Fayetteville offers a service to assist with rent, utilities and mortgage payments as a response to the Coronavirus pandemic. Qualified low and moderate income citizens may be eligible to receive up to $2,000 toward rent, utilities, or mortgage payments. A person must call 2-1-1 and ask for COVID rental, mortgage or utility assistance or visit https://www.nc211.org/ to connect with a specialist.

• City of Greensboro CARES Act Rental/Utility Assistance

Greensboro has received about $2 million from the federal CARES Act to help renters and homeowners with one-time assistance. The city has earmarked $713,000 to help pay rent and utility bills and $100,000 for mortgages.

• City of High Point Mortgage and Rent Assistance

Assistance is available to qualified households towards emergency monthly mortgage or rental assistance for their primary residence. Up to $1,000 in emergency mortgage assistance is available per household. The maximum amount of $1,000 can be applied to one to three months’ mortgage payments.

• Martin County Rental Assistance Program

Martin County applied for NC Commerce’s Community Development Block Grant Coronavirus back in September and was recently notified that the county will receive $900,000. Officials say the funds will primarily be used to provide up to six months of emergency utility payments, as well as emergency rent and mortgage payments in an effort to prevent eviction and homelessness.

• Orange County Risk Mitigation and Housing Displacement Fund

The Orange County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) created the pilot Risk Mitigation and Housing Displacement Fund in an effort to: (1) encourage landlord participation in Orange County rental assistance and other subsidy programs, (2) assist with housing stabilization and mitigate displacement of low- and very low-income residents, and (3) prevent homelessness.

• Union County Emergency Rental Assistance Program

The purpose of this funding is to assist adult only households impacted by COVID-19 and who do not qualify for other assistance programs at Union County Human Services for rental assistance.  This program is limited to adult only households with no minor children who require assistance with past due rent up to $800.00.

• House Wake! Eviction Prevention Program: Wake County

Wake County and community partners have launched the House Wake! COVID-19 Eviction Prevention Program. This next phase focuses on preventing the displacement of Wake County renters who lost income as a result of COVID-19. The three-step program offers: financial assistance to tenants and landlords to cover rent shortfalls resulting from a loss of income through a partnership with Telamon Corporation; free legal support through a partnership with Legal Aid of North Carolina for tenants who need a lawyer to negotiate filed evictions with landlords or other legal services; and assistance relocating residents whose housing could not be stabilized through steps 1 or 2.