PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Low-income residents in Pinellas County who have been experiencing hardship due to COVID can apply on March 31 to get up to 12 months of back rent paid for through a new Emergency Rental Assistance Program.

"It helps out a lot of people," said tenant Mia Turner, 22. "Covid messed up a lot of people's lives."​

For the past two years, Turner has been renting an apartment at The Park At Gibraltar complex in Clearwater. Turner said because of the pandemic, she's three months behind on her rent and is grateful for the new program.

"A stress reliever is an understatement. I just laid on my apartment floor like thank goodness," she said. "I can't even explain the feeling because I was just so happy. I really thought I was going to have to leave because I couldn't pull $3,000 out of nowhere."

Pinellas received $21.4 million from the federal government to help tenants who have been struggling to pay their rent. St. Petersburg received $8 million for a similar program.

Pinellas County Strategic Performance Manager Aubrey Phillips said the program will only be open to a household at or below 80% of the area median income. That means for a single household to qualify the tenant must make $39,400 or less per year and for a family of four the amount is $56,250.

"It is limited to up to 12 months of assistance. There isn't a cap on the dollar amount of the assistance," said Phillips. "It's based on what was the rent that was due. Then for future months rent, applicants have to re-income qualify every three months."

Senior Property Manager Kayla Stoddard, with Weller Management, said the new rent assistance program makes it easier for both the tenant and landlord to apply.

"I'm very excited about the new program. It's going to allow managers to be more involved. Which is going to expedite the process in helping those families," ​she said. "The first initial thought should never be eviction. It should be 'how can we help?' We want to keep our residents." 

Turner said she's very thankful to have a landlord who's willing to work with her.

"I appreciate them so much," she said. "They worked with me as much as they could and they were very understanding."​

Last year, 8,654 households took advantage of a similar Pinellas program. The portal to apply opens on March 31, the same day the federal eviction moratorium expires.

Visit the county website to see if you qualify and register for an application: https://covid19.pinellascounty.org/where-to-get-help/