Shawnee, Oklahoma, 10 October, 2022 – The City of Shawnee has been awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development via the Oklahoma Department of Commerce for Mortgage, Rent, and Utility Assistance. These funds will help citizens who are past-due on rent, mortgage, or utility payments as a direct result of issues relating to the COVID-19 pandemic.

For those households that qualify, rent, mortgage or utility assistance can be provided to a landlord on behalf of a tenant, a mortgage company on behalf of a homeowner, or to a utility company on behalf of a tenant/homeowner for up to six months. Assistance may cover past due payments to bring beneficiaries current. Expenses must have accumulated on or after January 21, 2020.

If determined eligible, payments will be made directly to landlords, lenders, and utility companies. The maximum amount of assistance per month must at least meet rent reasonableness standards (24 CFR 888 and 24 CFR 982.503). All information provided by applicants will go through a strict verification process by City of Shawnee staff prior to any payments.

In order to qualify, an individual or family must meet the following criteria:

• For mortgage assistance, residence must be owner
• Rent must not be more than fair market
• Delinquency must be due to the COVID-19
• Tenant or homeowner must meet low- to moderate-income
• Individual must reside inside Shawnee city limits

To apply for this program or for more information, please contact Jill Nichols or Bree Wallace in the City’s CDBG office at (405) 878-1542 or bree.wallace@shawneeok.org.