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Portland To Use $500K In Federal Funds To Help Renters Affected By Coronavirus

The city of Portland is making half a million dollars in CARES Act funds available to help Portland renters affected by COVID-19.City Housing and Community Development Director Mary Davis says the rental assistance is part of just over $1 million the city received in supplemental Community Development Block Grant funding through the CARES Act that the city will use to meet a variety of needs.

Davis says the program will provide up to $750 a month for three months, with as much as $250 total to help pay utility bills.
 
"We decided on the $750 number knowing that would not necessarily cover 100% of one month's rent," Davis says. "But we wanted to be able to provide the help that would fill a large portion of those rental needs."
 
Davis says the hope is that the CARES Act funds will provide rental assistance to around 200 households.
 
Guidelines and eligibility requirements are available on the city of Portland's website.

Ed is a Maine native who spent his early childhood in Livermore Falls before moving to Farmington. He graduated from Mount Blue High School in 1970 before going to the University of Maine at Orono where he received his BA in speech in 1974 with a broadcast concentration. It was during that time that he first became involved with public broadcasting. He served as an intern for what was then called MPBN TV and also did volunteer work for MPBN Radio.