Renter Assistance ProgramMichigan has been allocated $622 Million in renter assistance funding under the most recent federal stimulus law. Although the money is now available, the Michigan Legislature must approve legislation in order for the funds to be appropriated to the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) for distribution. A bill appropriating a portion of this money ($165,226,700 to be exact) is now moving in the Michigan House of Representatives. AAM is communicating with legislative leadership about the urgent need for these funds to support renters and housing providers in Michigan. For its part, MSHDA and its local partners have a structure and process in place to quickly begin accepting applications and delivering assistance once the legislation is approved. The distribution network will follow the previous Eviction Diversion Program (EDP), which concluded at the end of 2020. The new program will be called the COVID Emergency Rental Assistance (CERA) program and it will differ from the EDP in a number of ways. While EDP was established and funded by the State of Michigan, CERA is funded by the federal government and as such its eligibility and requirements come from federal law and the Department of Treasury. AAM is providing additional input to MSHDA on the application process and will continue to update you on new developments as they become available. In the meantime, I have included below the link to the MSHDA web page which outlines the new program. MSHDA - Eviction Diversion Program (EDP) (michigan.gov) Forrest M. Wall, CAE |
