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More than 20,000 Michiganders have applied for help to pay their rent through a federally-funded rent aid program that launched two months ago, reflecting an ongoing need for housing assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rent remains one of the top pandemic-related reasons people call the United Way's 211 service, right above vaccine information, according to a statewide dashboard. A federal moratorium on some evictions is slated to end June 30 unless the federal government extends it. In recent weeks, the moratorium has faced legal challenges but still remains in effect.
About 23,000 people have applied for assistance in Michigan since the program started in mid-March, said Kelly Rose, chief housing solutions officer for the Michigan State Housing Development Authority, the agency responsible for administering the money through housing nonprofits.