Rental assistance money still available for qualifying Clinton County residents.

LOCK HAVEN, PA – Jeff Rich, head of the Clinton County Housing Authority and Housing Coalition, told the Clinton County Commissioners at their work session on Monday that federally-provided relief assistance for rent and utilities remains for eligible county tenants.

Rich gave an update on the emergency rental assistance program first announced in March of last year in the wake of the COVID pandemic. He said the county was provided more than $2.5 million to help cover rental assistance and utility costs for the eligible, based on family income.

Through December, Rich said, 652 applications for rent assistance had been received with 342 of them approved to date, another 214 pending and 96 denied; of the latter, Rich said, less than 10 did not qualify for the assistance. Most were rejected due to lack of proper documentation; others, he said, could not be located. He noted those who have not qualified to date may still apply.

Commissioner Angela Harding pointed out that 73 percent of the applicants so far have been female; Rich acknowledged that statistic, stating that most of those are single mothers.

Rich said there has been no effort from the state Department of Human Services to get the county to return unused funds; that had been a rumor in the community, according to Rich.

Rich said the funding covers up to 15 months and a second round of funding, another $805,000, was recently authorized. County board vice-chairman Jeff Snyder, who chaired the meeting in the absence of board chairman Miles Kessinger, thanked Rich and his staff for their work.

Rich said applications for the program may be found at several websites: state Human Services, the county housing authority, and the county government website; hard copies are also available at the housing coalition’s building on E. Main Street.