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Governor Cooper announces $175 million to assist with rental, utility payments for struggling North Carolinians

The funding covers three new initiatives to help people in our state who are falling behind on rent or utility bills - or, who are already experiencing homelessness.

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Governor Roy Cooper announced millions of dollars in funding to help people behind on their rent or utility payments, struggling because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Governor's Office reports that the $175 million will split three ways, to help North Carolinians avoid eviction and catch up on their bills.

The North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency received the lion’s share of the funding. The department will use $94 million to address eviction prevention and utility payments. It will distribute money to eligible community agencies around the state that will work directly with people on the application process. The Governor's Office says $66 million of that comes from the CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Fund.

Another $53 million will go to the Emergency Solutions Grant-Coronavirus Program through the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. This funding will be available for people already experiencing or in immediate danger of experiencing homelessness. That money will also be handed out by community agencies. According to a press release, this will be used to streamline the process for families.

Finally, $28 million will go toward local governments. It's aimed toward municipalities with fewer than 50,000 residents and counties with fewer than 200,000 residents. 

According to a press release, more information on how to access this money will be released once the programs are completely ready for use. 

For those facing eviction, like Guilford County resident Chelsi Brown, the news of new relief funding is encouraging - but she hopes it can help her in time. 

"Unless they keep landlords from affecting all these families, then everyone's going to be homeless," she said.

Up until recently, Brown says she communicated with her landlord weekly, letting him know what she could pay - and what she couldn't.

"At least once a week, I keep him updated," she said, "You know - waiting for unemployment to go through or right now, waiting on the retroactive $300 a month that North Carolina applied for."

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