Portland Households can Apply for $250 in Emergency Assistance due to COVID-19 Pandemic

Emergency Household Stabilization Fund – City of Portland

If you operate rental properties in Portland, please share with your residents that beginning Monday, April 27 at 10:00am applications open for $250 in emergency assistance for households suffering a loss of income due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The fund will provide limited direct cash assistance to at least 2,000 households to help cover urgent needs like groceries, rent, utilities, and medical expenses.

How to Apply

Households can apply for $250 in emergency assistance beginning Monday, April 27 at 10am going to https://www.211info.org/covid19. DO NOT APPLY BEFORE 10:00am on Monday, April 27 – the application will not be accepted. Applications from eligible households will be processed on a first-come-first-served basis. Assistance with language interpretation or accessibility is available. 

Questions? Contact 211. They will also be able to connect applicants to additional community resources and assistance, such as discounts for sewer and water charges, crisis vouchers, and the Utility Safety Net program offered by the Bureau of Environmental Services and the Portland Water Bureau.

Eligibility

To be eligible for Emergency Household Stabilization Fund assistance, a household must be experiencing a loss of employment, income, dependent care, or some other hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and earning no more than 50% Area Median Income prior to any loss of employment or income due to COVID-19.

Do I qualify under the income limits?

The Portland Housing Bureau is basing the median income estimates on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development calculations for the Portland metro area in 2019. So, 50% of area median income would be:

Applicants will need to include documentation of the COVID-related hardship they are experiencing with their application, such as a letter from an employer, clients or customers, a healthcare provider, or school citing COVID-19 as a reason for reduced hours, termination, loss of business, school closure, loss of childcare, or inability to work, etc.

Pro Tip!

The fastest method to apply is to use the www.211info.org/covid19 website - calling 211 may answer specific questions, but the application for assistance can only be completed at the website. Review the application page ahead of time and get your answers and documentation ready to complete, upload and send at 10:01am on Monday, April 27, 2020 so your application is submitted as soon as possible.

To access the application and list of acceptable documentation, direct your residents to visit:

https://www.211info.org/covid19