Carroll County assistance programs

Get rent assistance
Residents of Carrollton Ohio and the county of Carroll can receive rent help from a program known as Housing, Opportunities, Partnerships and Empowerment (HOPE). The fairly new program is being funded with a $500,000 federal government allotment for the three counties in the area, including Carroll, Harrison, and Tuscarawas County. The money is being divided among the counties. Carroll County’s portion of the federal grant is being provided under authority of the Carroll County Department of Job and Family Services (phone 330-627-257). The funds are being provided through the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Rehousing portion of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, better known as the stimulus plan.

The rent and housing assistance program will function by helping families and individuals make rent and housing payments to apartment dwellers, primarily to those who are facing an eviction. Funds also can be used to help people pay their utility and heating bills. The HOPE case manager that will be overseeing Carroll County is Lisa Smiley.

Unfortunately Carroll County’s funding is limited. Their portion of the $500,000 will be spent on employing a  case manager half-time, and the vast majority will be spent on rental and utility bill assistance according to the executive director of Carroll County Job and Family Services. The payment from the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Rehousing program will go directly to either the utility company or landlord. They do not make payments to individuals.”

There are some conditions to be eligible for rent assistance, including an individual must be at least 21. However the minimum age is dropped to 18 for anyone who is leaving foster care. Also keep in mind the limited funds, and that the $500,000 is serving all three counties on a first-come basis, so the funds will eventually run out.