NEWS

Rent, utility assistance available locally

The Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency is making more than $2 million in rental and utility assistance available for income-eligible residents of Marion and Polk counties.

Community action is using its portion of a statewide rental assistance program, roughly $1.5 million, to help those having difficulty paying their rent because of the COVID-19 crisis.

In addition, Energy Services, Community Action’s program providing energy asistance to income-eligible individuals and families is providing $540,000 for direct client energy assistance for COVID-related energy and heating bill relief. Households must have been effected by COVID-19. Eligible household income must be at or below 60 percent of median income. 

Those interested in applying for rental assistance should contact the ARCHES Project directly by calling 503-399-9080 (extension 4003). Those needing help with energy bills should call Energy Services directly at 503-588-9016. 

ARCHES, another program offered by Community Action, continues to operate a motel program in Salem for medically fragile and COVID positive homeless clients. To date, this program has been in operation since mid-March, serving 95 clients per night. So far 216 unique individuals have been served from 128 households for a total of 4,200 bed nights over four partner motels.