NEW PROGRAMS ASSIST FAMILIES, HOMEOWNERS, AND LANDLORDS IN PIKE COUNTY

***The following programs are no longer accepting applications***

Pike County Offers Child Care Scholarships, Mortgage Assistance, and an Incentive for Landlords

The Board of Commissioners of Pike County have established new child care scholarship, mortgage assistance, and landlord incentive programs. Information about all of these programs can be obtained at www.PikeForward.org or by contacting Robert Ruiz, Executive Director for Human Services at Pike County, at (570) 296-3434 or rruiz@pikepa.org.

Child Care Scholarships

Child care scholarships are available for families who live in Pike County that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and have income below 80% of the area median – up to $63,100 for a family of four. Eligible participants may receive up to six (6) consecutive months of assistance with child care payments.

Mortgage Assistance

Homeowners who reside in Pike County, are behind in mortgage payments due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and have income less than 80% of the area median can receive up to three (3) months of assistance with mortgage payments. The county also has funding available to assist renters who are behind on their rent and utility payments through the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP).

Landlord Incentive

A new incentive is available to help landlords create or maintain affordable housing in Pike County. In exchange for up to $25,000 of assistance with eligible repairs, landlords who participate in the program will agree to rent units to households with income below 80% of the area median and to charge rent at or below the fair market rent – currently $1,368 for a two-bedroom apartment. The Landlord Incentive Program was created as a result of a housing study recently prepared by Diana T. Myers & Associates which found that there is a shortage of affordable housing in Pike County and that Pike County has the highest fair market rents in Pennsylvania.

 

These projects were financed by a grant from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, under the administration of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Community and Economic Development.