ELIGIBILITY MUST meet the criteria below:
The applicant should be an adult tenant listed on the lease of the rental property in an eligible household. To be eligible to receive the emergency rental, utilities, and/or security deposit assistance, you must meet one or more of the criteria below.
-Your place of residence must be within the unincorporated areas of Thomas County, GA.
-Your place of residence must be a rental property, single or multi-family home, or mobile home.
-You must be able to show that you are unable to pay the full or a portion of past due rent and/or utilities or unable to pay the security deposit as a result of a recent loss of income (job loss, furlough, reduced work hours, or to care for school-aged child(ren) mandated to remote learning, or medical hospitalization/diagnosis of COVID-19, etc.);
-You must have experienced a loss of income due, directly or indirectly, to the COVID-19 pandemic.
-You must be living in unsafe or unhealthy conditions, at risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability.
-You must have proof of job loss or reduction in hours/pay (separation notice from employer and unemployment benefits award letter or pay stubs prior to the reduction in pay/hours and at the time of the application, or any other income documentation.
-You must have a current executed lease (signed by both you and the property official/landlord) and, as the applicant, be listed on the lease agreement; and
-Current household income after March 13, 2020, must be equal to or less than 80% AMI as defined by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development for renters

**Income verification**
(ONE of the following, if applicable, are required for each adult member of the household unless they are a dependent and/or a full-time student - if a full-time student is Head of Household & applying for funding, they must provide one of the following). All documentation must have identifying information of the applicant and/or household member to be accepted and included in the application file.
-Self-attestation of Zero Income (HARDSHIP FORM)
-Self-attestation of Cash Income Only (meaning no financial accounts or financial records) (HARDSHIP FORM)
-Self-attestation of current income when official payroll documentation is unavailable or not accessible. (HARDSHIP FORM)
-One (1) month of paystubs, minimally. The paycheck stub must have the year-to-date gross income listed.
-A letter from your current and/or past employer stating your pay for the last 4 weeks as well as your year-to-date income, if you are paid in cash, by personal check, or do not have a copy of your paystubs. Your employer's letter must be on company letterhead with the employer's phone number, email address, and fax number for verification.
-Official Determination letter or annual renewal letter to receive benefits from SNAP, WIC, etc. dated January 2020 or later (if you are unable to provide paystubs/paychecks)
-Self-employment Certification form and signed, dated, and filed IRS Tax Form 1040 for tax year 2020 or 2021.
-Signed, dated and filed IRS Tax Form 1040 for 2020/2021
-Award letters from pensions and military allotments may be provided as proof of income.
-Proof of unemployment benefits, if applicable. If applicant is applying for unemployment benefits, they do not have to provide proof of application, but they will need to verify income during the re-certification process if they come back for additional funding.
-Bank statements for the past 90 days (checking and savings accounts) if you are not able to provide income verification from any other source.
-Any and all adult income for the entire household (wages, unemployment benefits, SSI, child support, alimony, investment income, and retirement income [including pensions], etc.).

Past Due Utility Assistance