Millions of dollars are available to help Montanans pay for their rent and mortgages during the COVID-19 pandemic.
MTN News talked with Montana housing operations to find out if you qualify for emergency housing assistance in tonight's Rebound report.
Cheryl Cohen, the Montana housing operations manager, told MTN News that over 700 applications have been submitted for emergency housing funding.
However, while this number is high, she believes there are more families that need help who don't know about this resource.
"Well we are getting a pretty high volume of applications," said Cohen. "We've got about 750 so far."
She explained that there's $50 million in emergency money available under the CARES Act, specifically for families needing housing assistance that experienced financial hardship during the coronavirus emergency.
All of that funding needs to be used by the end of December 2020. But how do you know if you qualify?
Cohen explained that the amount in a family's checking and savings accounts must be below $10,000, excluding retirement funds.
"There are some income limits for the program. It's based on family size," she said. "It ranges between $75, $100 and $125,000 a year. Depending on family size."
If you're applying she suggests having your landlord and mortgage lender information ready.
"Know that you'll have to provide some documentation about your COVID-related hardship," said Cohen. "So, that could be recent pay stubs that show a reduction in hours or a letter from your employer about a business closure or layoff."
And she stresses that there is no shame in applying for this financial assistance.
"We all want to help each other and help our neighbors and this is a fund source that's available to all Montanans," said Cohen.
If you are interested in applying for emergency housing please visit their website.
