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COVID-19 Information Regarding Rent Assistance and Homelessness Prevention Programs
Below are emergency housing grants and grantee guidance responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Please note that COVID-19 is a health-related issue, and the best guidance is available on the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) website and through guidance issued by your local public health department. DOH also offers COVID-19 educational materials in 26 languages. If you expect exposure to COVID-19, please follow DOH and Center for Disease Control (CDC) requirements and guidelines. For guidance on how to prevent and manage the spread of COVID-19 in homeless shelter settings, please see Commerce’s interim guidance.
Find Eviction Rent Assistance in Your County
Rental assistance funded by Commerce is provided through local housing providers in your community. You can find a list of those providers in the links below.
List of County Eviction Rent Assistance Program Providers
List of Youth and Young Adult Eviction Rent Assistance Program Providers
The Eviction Rent Assistance Program (ERAP) Grant is part of Washington state’s response to the COVID-19 disaster. The program intends to prevent evictions that would contribute to the spread of the virus by paying past due, current due, and future rent. The ERAP is targeting limited resources to those with the greatest needs while working to distribute funds equitably.
Washington State Limited Landlord Relief Program offers owners or four or fewer rental units/properties that make less than the Family Median Income the ability to recuperate up to 80% of the unpaid rental payments where tenants are non-communicative or unqualified for the where the unpaid rents were the result of a Statewide Emergency as declared by the Governor of Washington. This program is limited to pay no more than $2,000,000 in claims.
COVID-19 Guidance for Homeless Service Programs
Below are links to preliminary COVID-19 guidance for homeless service program providers. We are working with the Washington State Department of Health on additional resources and guidance. If you have additional questions about the COVID-19 outbreak, we recommend contacting your local public health department or the Washington State Department of Health at 1-800-525-0127.
CDC Interim Guidance for Homeless Service Providers to Plan and Respond to the COVID-19 (web)
Discontinuing Home Isolation (PDF)
Information on taking care of people who are sick, how long to isolate, and other commonly asked questions (web)
Information from WA State DOH on working with people who are homeless (web)
COVID-19 Tips for Homeless Service Providers (PDF)
Interim Guidance on COVID-19 for Homeless Service Providers (PDF)
Home Isolation Guidance for Families and Individuals Living in Permanent Supportive Housing (PDF)
FAQ for Coordinated Entry, Consolidated Homeless Grant on COVID (PDF)
Clarification: Relief efforts are allowed under Governor Inslee’s proclamations (PDF)
COVID-19 Emergency Response Grant for Tribal Governments
Funding for this grant is to address the COVID-19 outbreak-related needs of tribal governments.
COVID-19 Emergency Response Grant for Tribal Governments Contact Information
Emily Burgess
Emily.Burgess@commerce.wa.gov
Diane Klontz, Assistant Director of the Community Services and Housing Division, at (360) 701–2732.
COVID-19 Emergency Housing Grants to Counties
Funding for this grant is to address the COVID -19 outbreak-related public health needs of people experiencing homelessness or otherwise in need of quarantine or isolation due to the outbreak.
- COVID-19 Housing Grant Announcement (web)
- COVID-19 Housing Grant Amount to Each County (PDF)
- COVID-19 Housing Grant Guidelines (PDF)
- Grant Webinars (DOC)
- Guidelines Q&A (PDF)
- COVID Plan Template (DOC)
- County COVID Plans (web)
- COVID Grantee Contact List (XLSX)
- Webinar Recording on Serving Homeless Youth in Isolation/Quarantine Facilities
- PowerPoint Slides: Serving Homeless Youth in Isolation/Quarantine Facilities (PDF)
- Guidance on Serving Homeless Youth in Isolation/Quarantine Facilities (PDF)
COVID-19 Emergency Housing Grants Contact Information
Kathy Kinard
kathy.kinard@commerce.wa.gov
Commerce Housing Assistance page
Diane Klontz, Assistant Director of the Community Services and Housing Division, at (360) 701–2732.
Landlord Mitigation Program and Tenancy Preservation Program
Office of Homeless Youth Grantee Guidance
- NN4Y Fact Sheet on Youth Access to Economic Stimulus Payment (PDF)
- NN4Y Recorded Webinar on Youth Access to Economic Stimulus Payment
- Letter to OHY Grantees on Eligible Expenses During the COVID-19 Crisis (PDF)
- Temporary Waivers (PDF)
- OHY COVID-19 FAQ (PDF)
- Department of Children, Youth and Families COVID-19 Updates
- Supplies for staying safer while providing street-based outreach from Harm Reduction Coalition staff (PDF)
- DOH Guidance for Youth-Serving Organizations (PDF)
- Street Outreach Strategies in Light of COVID-19 (PDF)
- DOH guidance for Group Home Facilities (PDF)
- DOH Guidance for Homeless Shelters (PDF)
- DOH Prioritization Guidelines for Allocation of PPE (PDF)
- Webinar Recording on Serving Homeless Youth in Isolation/Quarantine Facilities
- PowerPoint Slides: Serving Homeless Youth in Isolation/Quarantine Facilities (PDF)
- Guidance on Serving Homeless Youth in Isolation/Quarantine Facilities (PDF)
Office of Homeless Youth Contact Information
Housing Trust Fund Disaster Assistance
The federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) has allocated supplemental CDBG Coronavirus (CDBG-CV) funds through the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to the state CDBG program at Commerce. The first round of CDBG-CV funding is available for CDBG nonentitlement (rural) county and city governments.