News, Culture and NPR for Central & Northern Michigan
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
91.7FM Alpena and WCML-TV Channel 6 Alpena are off the air. Click here to learn more.

Rental Assistance - State of MI & Capitol Area Housing Partnership

A state program has distributed nearly $1 million dollars to Mid-Michigan households struggling to pay rent and utilities due to pandemic related hardships. The funds come from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority. 

The state launched the COVID Emergency Rental Assistance program in March to help Michiganders pay for rent and utilities. It replaced the Eviction Diversion Program, which had been offering rental assistance since last summer. 

Rawley Van Fossen is the executive director of the Capital Area Housing Partnership. He says they’ve been partnering with the state to help Ingham County residents secure these funds.  

“Ensuring that there are direct financial assistance dollars made available to households who are struggling to make those timely rent payments, those timely utility payments, but are unable to do so because they've been affected by COVID.” 

So far, at least 58 households in Ingham County have received assistance.