City of Tulare says plenty of funds still available for rent, mortgage, utility assistance

TULARE, Calif. (KFSN) -- The City of Tulare says it is struggling to attract applicants for its Rental, Mortgage, and Utility Assistance Program.

The city chose to use approximately $275,000 in CDBG CARES Act funds for the program, which started a couple of months ago.

Eligible households can receive up to $3,000 for past due rent, mortgage, and utility costs.

Families or individuals must show that they experienced a financial hardship due to the pandemic.

So far, city officials say about 90% of the rent relief funds are still available, and about 25% of mortgage and utility assistance funds still haven't been allocated.

Tulare Mayor Dennis Mederos wants residents to know that these are grant payments, not loans.

"Sometimes people think when they get this money that it's something that they may have to pay back," Mederos said. "This is a grant. This is money that's being made available under the CARES Act to assist members of our community and see to it that they get the kind of money they need."

The Housing Authority of Tulare County is administering the rental side of this program, while the United Way of Tulare County is administering the mortgage and utility side.

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