COLUMBIA, S.C. — Applications are now available for people who need help paying back rent and utilities in South Carolina because of the pandemic.
People who qualify can get up to 12 months of aid for rent or utility bills that date back to March 2020 through the SC Stay Plus program. They can also qualify for up to three months of future rental assistance.
Assistance is available for households in which one or more individuals meet all the following criteria:
- Has qualified for unemployment or experienced a reduction in household income, incurred significant costs, or experienced a financial hardship directly or indirectly due to COVID-19 (i.e., since March 2020);
- Can demonstrate a risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability; and
- Has a household income at or below 80% of county median income.
SC Stay Plus is a $272 million federally funded program to assist South Carolina residents in need of rental and utility assistance because their finances have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Residents in 39 counties are eligible to participate in the program. The following seven counties received other funding and will provide their own rental assistance programs: Anderson, Berkeley, Charleston, Greenville, Horry, Richland and Spartanburg – click here for information about these programs.
Find more information and applications at SCHousing.com.