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Richmond Assist Program
Overview
The Richmond Assist Progam is funded by the RC-CDBG-CV grant in the amount of $810,000 and will soon be available to help curb housing evictions and utility disconnections. NC Commerce’s Rural Economic Development Division (REDD) will administer the Community Development Block Grant Coronavirus (CDBG-CV) funds awarded to the State by the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to support North Carolina’s COVID-19 response efforts. Richmond County was awarded funding towards public service with priorities designated as being the prevention of evictions and utility disconnections. The purpose of the program is to provide financial assistance to those families of low to moderate-income (see Eligibility tab) who are behind on rent and utility costs with the goal of keeping Richmond County families healthy, safe, and socially distanced.
The Richmond Assist Program, managed through Richmond County Human Services, will provide payments directly to vendors or landlords for the purpose of preventing homelessness (rent or mortgage) and utility service disconnections (water, power, gas, etc.). The maximum allotment per household is up to $1000 until funds are exhausted. This is not an emergency service. It may take 14 days to process the application and 14 days to process the payment to the vendor.
The program will open for applications on September 1st, 2021. Applicants will not need to apply in person as the initial application can be printed (see Applications tab) or picked up at Richmond County Human Services to be dropped off in the Red Mailbox in front of the DSS entrance.
All Richmond County Residents are eligible for the program and must show proof. Choose any of the following:
- Valid North Carolina Driver's License or state-issued identification card
- Current rental agreement or mortgage receipt/utility bill indicating the address
- Current document from the employer
- Current Voter Registration Card
All applicants must meet income requirements as seen on the chart below:
Income levels for a low-income person are those whose total annual income is 50% or less of the annual median income. In addition, moderate-income people are those whose total annual income is above 50% but less than 80% of the annual median income.
Number in Household | Low Income 50% or Less | Moderate Income 80% or Less |
I | $20,350.00 | $32,550.00 |
2 | $23,250.00 | $37,200.00 |
3 | $26,150.00 | $41,850.00 |
4 | $29,050.00 | $46,500.00 |
5 | $31,400.00 | $50,250.00 |
6 | $33,700.00 | $53,950.00 |
7 | $36,050.00 | $57,700.00 |
8 | $38,350.00 | $61,400.00 |
Documents are needed for income verification of all household members. Choose any of the following that applies to your income:
- Pay stubs
- Any payment records that household members receive
- Benefit letters (with income stated) include:
- Unemployment Compensation
- Disability insurance Disability Verification Letter Online
- Pensions
- Social Security Social Security Verification Letter Online
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI) SSI Verification Letter Online
- Child support
- Work First Family Assistance
- All other sources of income
All applicants must have past-due utilities and/or housing accounts and show proof such as:
- Copies of past-due notices
- If past due on rent, please use the Landlord and Tenant Agreement form (see Applications tab)
All applicants must provide:
- Current telephone number
- Social Security numbers for all household members
Richmond Assist Program will provide up to six months of payments for the purpose of preventing homelessness and utility payments to prevent service disconnections and rent/mortgage payments to prevent evictions. This is a one-time payment of up to $1000 per family until funds are exhausted and are on a first-come, first-served basis.
Each application will be time-stamped upon receipt and will be handled accordingly. Please provide copies of the needed documents with the application which will speed up the process. Please remember that processing the applications may take up to 14 days and processing the payments may take up to an additional 14 days.
Partner Referral Process:
Vendor agreements will be issued to any partnering agencies. Other agencies will be sent out at the time of need along with a W9 form. The Richmond County Health Department will then pledge the dedicated amount to the vendor while at the same time the consent forms will be sent to county finance for processing. All consents received by 12 noon on Wednesday will be processed the following day and checks will be mailed to the vendors.
Acceptance or Denial
Once the application has been reviewed it will be determined to be either approved or denied for benefits. A copy of each application packet will be sent to Richmond Economic Development Corporation for their review. Each applicant will be notified by phone of the outcome of their application. Landlords/mortgage companies and/or utility companies will be sent pledge notices on a daily basis to notify them of Richmond Economic Development Corporation’s intent to pay for such accounts.
The program will be open for applications on September 1st, 2021, and will only take paper copies submitted in the RED BOX in front of the Division of Social Services (DSS) building.
Paper applications are being offered at most utility companies and the Department of Social Services (DSS) door. Applicants will not need to apply in person but submit the paper application to the RED BOX in front of the DSS entrance.
A digital application is available below for download and print. Each application will be processed according to the date of receipt. Please note that all payments will be made to the past-due account vendors.
For more information or disability accommodations, please contact Linda Taylor at 910-997-8410 and leave a message with a name and phone number. All calls will be returned within 24-48 hours.
Richmond Assist Program Application Form
PROGRAMA DE ASISTENCIA DE RICHMOND