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140 <br />120 <br />100 <br />U <br />U <br />a 80 <br />a <br />0 <br />v <br />60 <br />E <br />z 40 <br />M <br />I <br />Rental & Mortgage Assistance Applicants by Month <br />,LO ti� titi titi ;Lti .L'y .L'y ,y'v 'yti ,ti'y 0'y ,L'y ,L'y <br />C� <br />Program Month <br />Over the last couple months, the number of eligible applicants with a COVID-related reason for <br />delinquency has continued to decrease. With continued improvement in the local economy (4.6% local <br />unemployment rate in September), staff believes that the number of COVID-impacted residents will be <br />minimal. It appears that our neighboring Treasure and Space Coast counties share this notion, as they <br />have terminated their respective CARES Act funded COVID-related rental assistance programs. County <br />staff has discussed a sunset of this program on December 31, 2021 with Judge Menz and Florida Rural <br />Legal Services. This action will also allow staff to direct resources to some of the ARP funded programs <br />that are meant to help with ongoing impacts of the pandemic, such as the SHARP program aimed at <br />addressing increased affordability challenges. Therefore, staff recommends a sunset of the eviction <br />diversion program, effective December 31, 2021 as currently structured. County staff has reached out <br />to the United Way of Indian River County about operating the program from January 1, 2022 through <br />April 1, 2022, similar to the process used for other CARES Act programs over the last year. United <br />Way has agreed to provide this function, which will significantly reduce the amount of staff time <br />needed to support this program. <br />Fundin <br />Funding for the Eviction Diversion Program is provided by a $2 million allocation from the CARES <br />Act. As of November 2, 2021, a total of $407,827 has been expended. Staff anticipates that additional <br />funds will be utilized at mediation sessions in November and December. In total, the County <br />has expended $2,362,887 out of the total CARES Act allocation of $4.5 million for rental and <br />mortgage assistance. This leaves $2,137,113 remaining. The County's health insurance fund has <br />incurred a total of $2.8 million in expenses for COVID-related treatment for County and <br />Constitutional Officers' employees and dependents since the start of the pandemic. Staff proposes to <br />utilize $1.2 million out of the remaining funding to reimburse the health insurance fund for these <br />