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Vermont offers $30 million in emergency housing assistance next week

Tenants, landlords and homeowners who fell behind in their payments can apply

Vermont offers $30 million in emergency housing assistance next week

Tenants, landlords and homeowners who fell behind in their payments can apply

FUNDING TO LIFT RENTERS AND HOMEOWNERS WHO IN MANY CASES LOST JOBS THANKS TO THE PANDEMIC. MILLIONS IN NEW EMERGENCY RELIEF - AVAILABLE NEXT WEEK FOR VERMONTERS WHO HAVE MISSED MORTGAGE PAYMENTS - OR WHO'VE FALLEN BEHIND ON THEIR RENT. <GOV. PHIL SCOTT/ ( R ) VERMONT 552 NOW I KNOW MANY VERMONT FAMILIES AND LANDLORDS ARE STRUGGLING, AND THIS WON'T BE ENOUGH OR ADDRESS ALL THEIR NEEDS, BUT WE'LL CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR WAYS TO SUPPORT THEM SO THEY CAN SURVIVE THIS ONCE A CENTURY CRISIS. 606> GFX: HOUSING ASSISTANCE STARTING MONDAY: $25 million in recovery aid or renters/landlords No income threshold $5 million for homeowners wo've missed at least two mortgage payments Info at accd.vermont.gov <SOT: MAURA COLLINS/VERMONT HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY 136 HOPEFULLY THE GOAL IS TO PREVENT PEOPLE FROM LOSING THEIR HOMES DURING THIS PANDEMIC SO IF WE CAN CATCH PEOPLE AND GIVE THEM ASSISTANCE EARLY, THAT'S IDEAL. 145> <SWIZZLE> MEANTIME - WIDESPREAD TESTING ACROSS THE SATE CONTINUE TO SHOW VERY LOW LEVELS OF CORONAVIRUS. BUT EXPLODING CASE COUNTS IN THE SOUTH AND WEST HAS THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT WORRIED. <DR. MARK LEVINE/ COMMISSIONER OF HEALTH TC29:44 I'M NOT HERE TO STRIKE FEAR IN THE HEARTS OF VERMONTERS. JUST TO CONVEY WHAT THE DATA IS SHOWING AND TO TELL YOU I'M VERY CONCERNED. 29:54> SO, SCOTT ADMINISTRATION IS NOT READY TO GO ANY FURTHER TO RELAX CAPACITY LIMITS IN RESTAURANTS AND RETAIL.. ESPECIALLY WITH SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES SET TO REOPEN NEXT MONT
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Vermont offers $30 million in emergency housing assistance next week

Tenants, landlords and homeowners who fell behind in their payments can apply

While Vermont continued to see very little spread of COVID-19 again this week, for many households, the economic damage has already been done.On Friday, Gov. Phil Scott rolled out details on two new aid packages - funding with a portion of the $1.25 billion Vermont received from Congress -- to help residents who have fallen behind on the rent or the mortgage."I know many Vermont families and landlords are struggling and this won't be enough or address all their needs, but we'll continue to look for ways to support them so they can survive this once-a-century crisis," Scott told reporters.Starting Monday, Vermonters may apply for $25 million in cash grants for tenants and landlords -- or for $5 million reserved to help homeowners who've missed at least two mortgage payments to catch up. "Hopefully, the goal is to prevent people from losing their homes during this pandemic, so if we can catch people and give them assistance early, that's ideal," said Maura Collins, executive director of the Vermont Housing Finance Agency.Interested Vermonters wil find information about both programs on the Commerce Agency website: www.accd.vermont.govMeantime, widespread COVID-19 testing continued to show very low levels of viral spread -- only 41 positive cases confirmed this week, among the more than 5,700 Vermonters tested. But Scott and Health Commissioner Dr. Mark Levine are worried about the runaway spike in cases in the South and West. Scott said he's not willing to relax capacity limits on retailers and restaurants, for now."I know there's a lot of pressure to reopen but I don't want to end up in the position a lot of other states are in, like Arizona, Texas and Florida," the governor said. "Our plan is working."The administration did announce that many of Vermont's shuttered highway rest areas and welcome centers will re-open in the next two to three weeks.And the Labor Department said Vermonters who are exhausting their unemployment benefits are now eligible for up to 20-weeks of extended payments.

While Vermont continued to see very little spread of COVID-19 again this week, for many households, the economic damage has already been done.

On Friday, Gov. Phil Scott rolled out details on two new aid packages - funding with a portion of the $1.25 billion Vermont received from Congress -- to help residents who have fallen behind on the rent or the mortgage.

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"I know many Vermont families and landlords are struggling and this won't be enough or address all their needs, but we'll continue to look for ways to support them so they can survive this once-a-century crisis," Scott told reporters.

Starting Monday, Vermonters may apply for $25 million in cash grants for tenants and landlords -- or for $5 million reserved to help homeowners who've missed at least two mortgage payments to catch up.

"Hopefully, the goal is to prevent people from losing their homes during this pandemic, so if we can catch people and give them assistance early, that's ideal," said Maura Collins, executive director of the Vermont Housing Finance Agency.

Interested Vermonters wil find information about both programs on the Commerce Agency website: www.accd.vermont.gov

Meantime, widespread COVID-19 testing continued to show very low levels of viral spread -- only 41 positive cases confirmed this week, among the more than 5,700 Vermonters tested.

But Scott and Health Commissioner Dr. Mark Levine are worried about the runaway spike in cases in the South and West. Scott said he's not willing to relax capacity limits on retailers and restaurants, for now.

"I know there's a lot of pressure to reopen but I don't want to end up in the position a lot of other states are in, like Arizona, Texas and Florida," the governor said. "Our plan is working."

The administration did announce that many of Vermont's shuttered highway rest areas and welcome centers will re-open in the next two to three weeks.

And the Labor Department said Vermonters who are exhausting their unemployment benefits are now eligible for up to 20-weeks of extended payments.