Yes, households with Housing Choice/Section 8 vouchers are eligible to apply. This program can help with the tenant’s portion of the rent and utilities as deemed eligible. Tenant and Landlords must ensure that past due rent amounts do not include the amount section 8 covers. Any payment of funds for ineligible amounts must be repaid back to the program.
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Applicants may go online to www.piercecountywa.gov/housinghelp to complete the application for rental assistance and utility assistance. For households who do not have internet access, please call 211 and complete the application over the phone. or schedule time with a provider to be assisted in person. Documentation must be uploaded to be considered fully submitted.
If you received assistance in 2020, households may apply for assistance. If you received assistance in 2021, households will need to log in and recertify. There is no guarantee of additional assistance and new households are prioritized.
Tenants can apply using our online application found at www.piercecountywa.gov/housinghelp. After submission, tenant applications will be prioritized based on information provided and referred to a provider. After the providers receive the referral, they will make initial contact with you and provide next steps. The service provider may contact you for additional documentation and contact your landlord for documentation. The provider will then schedule an intake meeting if necessary.
If you have no access to the internet, you can call 2-1-1 for help filling out the online application over the phone. You may also contact a provider and schedule a time to receive assistance to apply. For a status update on your rental application after you’ve applied, please log back into the application and check for the status update.
The provider will be in touch via email, text and a phone call. Please check your email regularly after you have submitted your application and please answer unknown calls. Providers will attempt to contact you three times before marking your file “unable to contact” and moving to the next household. Updates can be found on the portal.
Yes, households who are renting from a friend/family member are eligible to apply. Households will have to provide an informal lease agreement with the household or bank statements showing payments have been previously paid to the friend/family member. Rent amount depends on the number of bedrooms in the house and fair market rent.
Yes, households who are long term stayers (14-days or longer) at a hotel/motel are eligible to apply. The monthly amount will be based on efficiency apartments fair market rents. Households will have to provide a past due statement from the hotel/motel and documentation showing payments have been previously paid to the hotel/motel.
Please email [email protected] to update your information, please include past information and updated information.
Yes. If your rent is not past due, but you are unable to pay your utilities and have a bill showing the past due amount you can apply for utility assistance. This program cannot pay utilities and leave your rent past due. Unpaid utilities must be due to Covid-19.
Electric, Water/Sewer, Gas, Garbage Pickup, Fuel Oil, and Internet
No, the Pierce County Rental Assistance program will not issue payments directly to tenants. Checks will only be sent to the landlord or friend/family member or hotel manager. Utility and other payments will only be sent to the utility or bill provider.
Future rent is an eligible expense and is paid on a case-by-case basis based on need. There is no guarantee of future rents for any household.
Please email [email protected].
Please do not reapply. Log into the portal and recertify your application. You will need to update your documentation and proof of income. There is no guarantee of additional months of assistance. Our program is currently prioritizing households who have not been served to date, before we serve returning households.
Documentation is required before an application can be submitted. If you are having trouble uploading documentations, please contact a provider to assist you in completing your application.
No, you must be in arrears for rent and/or utilities to apply for this program. You must also be behind in rent due to Covid-19.
No, this program is only for rental and utility assistance for households already in a lease and impacted by Covid-19.
No, this program is for Pierce County renters only. Please check your local area for rental assistance options.
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