CINCINNATI — Hamilton County Job and Family Services announced in a press release on Wednesday it must halt new applications for rental assistance while they await additional funds.
JFS applied for an additional $40 million in federal funding to meet the need for assistance in paying rent and utilities, the agency said.
Those who have already submitted applications for the program will not be affected. JFS said it is still processing those applications and will continue until they're finished.
JFS said it does not have a timeframe on when it can expect an answer on the federal funds it applied for and applications will not be able to resume until additional funding becomes available.
The county has already pushed out more than $35 million in rent and utility relief since the start of the pandemic. The money has helped about 11,000 families.
The funds are meant to help county residents who have lost income as a result of COVID-19.
Earlier in July, Hamilton County commissioners approved an extra $12.5 million for rent and utility relief from money awarded by the state. However, a county spokesperson said the need for the program remains high and the county is pumping out roughly $135,000 a day into the local community.
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