Pandemic Assistance Available for Renters and Essential Workers

Essential Workers Sick with COVID-19 Win Assistance Fund

Essential workers who got sick with COVID-19 on the job have won relief through a special Connecticut Essential Workers COVID-19 Assistance Fund included in the state budget.

“This fund will help potentially thousands of essential workers – healthcare workers, first responders, grocery store workers, bus drivers, corrections employees and many others – who contracted the novel coronavirus on the job through no fault of their own. Many ended up with out-of-pocket medical expenses and lost wages,” said Sal Luciano, president of the Connecticut AFL-CIO.

“Throughout the pandemic, the state has required our essential workers to continue to show up to work every day and sometimes without adequate personal protective equipment. And they have. The least Connecticut can do is take care of them when they get sick,” he added.

Labor co-chairs Sen. Julie Kushner and Rep. Robyn Porter prioritized this issue. Comptroller Kevin Lembo agreed to administer the Fund after several agencies refused.

Rochelle Palache, vice president of 32BJ SEIU said, “Although we’re disappointed that a workers’ compensation COVID presumption did not pass the full legislature, the funding provided for essential workers struck by COVID will be a tremendous benefit for some of our janitors and security officers in a healing process that often has only just begun.”

$400 Million for Emergency Rental Assistance Available through UniteCT

Governor Ned Lamont declined to extend Connecticut's moratorium on evictions and foreclosures beyond June 30, despite the fact that the federal Centers for Disease Control extended its eviction moratorium until July 31, 2021, and the Federal Housing Finance Agency, HUD, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the USDA extended their foreclosure moratorium until July 31.

It is estimated that Connecticut could surge from 670 monthly filings for evictions to between 4,408 and 12,093 monthly filings after the moratorium is lifted.

At the same time as ending the moratorium, the Governor issued an executive order effective through July 20, requiring that landlords, before issuing an eviction notice, file an application with UniteCT for the federal relief available to tenants for emergency rental assistance. The funds are part of the American Rescue Plan. The Governor also extended the appeal period for tenants from three to 30 days

The State’s UniteCT program offers up to $15,000 in rent relief for those who qualify, and covers 12 months of expenses back to March 30, 2020. To date, UniteCT has dispersed just $23 million of the $457 million that the federal government granted for rent relief in Connecticut.

The application process with UniteCT requires many documents and is only available on-line. Therefore local organizations in 11 cities are assisting with applications. In addition, the UniteCT van is available to help with applications as it travels from town to town.

The program is open to anyone earning no more than 80% of the median income in their area, which is $54,950 for a single person in most of the state ($66,500 in some lower Fairfield County towns.) 

The eligible income increases with household size — ranging from $78,500 for a household of four to $103,650 for a family of eight in most of the state.

To apply for financial assistance if you owe back rent or payment on utilities because of COVID-19 call UniteCT at 1-884-864-8328.

Go to the UniteCT website to find the list of local organizations helping tenants fill our applications and to find the schedule for the UniteCT van. https://portal.ct.gov/DOH/DOH/Programs/UniteCT

In addition, some cities have established emergency rental assistance programs. In New Haven, the CASTLE program can provide additional rental assistance along with UniteCT funds. https://www.newhavenct.gov/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?blobid=37902