Quick Links

Related News
Back to All News

Toledo-Lucas County Rental Assistance Program Announced

Thursday, May 13, 2021

A new joint Toledo-Lucas County Rental Assistance Program will help renters impacted by COVID-19, Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz, and Lucas County Commissioners Tina Skeldon Wozniak, Pete Gerken, and Gary L. Byers announced today.

“Almost exactly one year ago, the city launched the COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Fund to help provide stable housing for 700 income-eligible households in Toledo impacted by COVID-19,” Mayor Kapszukiewicz said. “Now, through a partnership with Lucas County, we are launching a second round of assistance for income-eligible renters with a county-wide program to help residents of Toledo and all of Lucas County. COVID-19 has caused unprecedented job loss and income reduction and I am thrilled that the city and the county have partnered to again address the challenge of housing with this new, federally-funded program.”

“This is a good example of government jurisdictions joining together to create a collaborative, coordinated framework to solve community-wide problems and make changes that improve the lives of the most vulnerable of Lucas County,” Commissioner Wozniak said. “Through the partnership of the city-county rental assistance program, we have combined federal funding to create an efficient and effective process that eliminates duplication of services and allows for more people to get help. By working as one, we will have a greater impact on the community to address a critical need.”

“Lucas County is committed to assisting renters who need it the most to allow them to have a safe and secure roof over their heads and to help the landlords that worked with their tenants to keep them out of eviction,” Commissioner Gerken said. “The Toledo-Lucas County Rental Assistance Program is designed to be the stopgap for those on the brink of homelessness. For hundreds of Lucas County residents this could be the only thing standing between them and living on the streets. With the expiration of the federal eviction moratorium, this help is needed more than ever.”

“Toledo and Lucas County are working with NeighborWorks, Lutheran Social Services, and Pathway to provide financial relief to residents who are struggling to meet their day-to-day housing needs,” Commissioner Byers said. “These community agencies are specialized in providing services and they can effectively help renters and tenants get the documents together that are needed to apply for rental assistance. The need for housing assistance remains significant for those who are still suffering from the economic fallout of the pandemic.”

The program details can be found at toledo.oh.gov/renters.

The new Toledo-Lucas County Emergency Rental Assistance Program will allocate $11,507,996 for direct rental assistance to benefit income-eligible tenants in Toledo and Lucas County.

Since the federal eviction moratorium expired, housing displacement is a great concern in our community. Without rental assistance, housing stability for the most vulnerable residents in Toledo and Lucas County is in jeopardy. The new program will assist low- to moderate-income households in the city and county with up to 12 months emergency rental assistance. That may include payment for current and future rent, past due rent, late fees, new renter fees, security deposits, and utility deposits and payments. During the period of approved rental assistance, beneficiaries will be encouraged to meet regularly with a financial opportunity center coach. Emergency rental assistance payments will be issued directly to the landlord or, if the landlord declines to actively participate, directly to the tenant recipient. Only one application per unit is eligible. The landlord or tenant may initiate the application for assistance. Applicants must be the named landlord and tenant per the lease agreement. Multifamily units, duplexes, and single-family residential units rented, owned, and operated by an individual or corporate landlord are eligible.

Applications will only be accepted online via the Neighborly TLCERAP Software portal, which is posted at toledo.oh.gov/renters. Partner organizations will provide marketing and outreach for the program and provide technical assistance with the online application on a first-come, first-served basis to landlords and tenants.

The portal will be open for landlords only from May 13 to May 27. Tenants may apply starting May 28.The program will remain open until all funds have been expended.

The program partner organizations are:

NeighborWorks Toledo Region, 704 Second St.
419-691-2900
www.nwtoledo.org

Lutheran Social Services, 2149 Collingwood Blvd.
419-243-9178
www.lssnwo.org

Pathway, 505 Hamilton St.
419-242-7304
www.pathwaytoledo.org

The eligibility requirements include:

  • The resident must rent a residential unit in Toledo or Lucas County.
  • The resident must have a valid and current lease signed by both landlord and tenant or other documentation supporting the existence of a rental relationship.
  • The resident qualifies for unemployment or has experienced a reduction in household income, incurred significant costs, or experienced a financial hardship due to COVID-19.
  • The resident demonstrates a risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability.
  • The resident has a maximum household income at or below 80 percent of the area median income, adjusted for household size. (To calculate what percent of the area median income a tenant’s income is, take the household’s income and divide it by the 100 percent area median income for a household of the same size.)

There are two scheduled virtual meetings for the public to learn about the program and the application process: