Update on COVID-19 Individual Assistance & Housing Assistance programs

All $3 million in funding allocated for the COVID-19 Housing Assistance Program has been issued to eligible applicants and the program has concluded for now. Applications for the COVID-19 Individual Assistance Program are still currently being processed. The City and Borough of Juneau programs aim to provide grant funding to individuals and/or households financially impacted by the pandemic. Both programs are administered by Catholic Community Service (CCS), and distribute funds on a first come, first served basis until funding is exhausted. The Juneau Assembly will consider adding more funding to the programs. The issue is scheduled for the February 3 Assembly Finance Committee and will need Assembly action to approve.

For Individual Assistance, CCS received more than 900 applications on December 8, the first day of the program, and is still working through that batch. CCS has started informing applicants of their eligibility, though some applicants may be waiting another couple of weeks before hearing from CCS by email. As of January 13, 484 individuals have been deemed eligible for $972,000 in grant funding. Once an approval email is sent, the applicant can expect a check from CBJ within 2-3 weeks.

A total of $2 million was originally allocated for the Individual Assistance program. CCS anticipates that full amount being expended on applications received on December 8 and a partial amount of applications received on December 9. That means many applications received on December 9 and any that came in after that date will not receive funding. CCS will notify everyone who applied and provided an email address of their eligibility.

For Housing Assistance, 1,108 households received funding. The average award amount was $2,708. CCS notified households that applied October 27 – November 18 by email of eligibility, and CBJ has issued all grant checks to eligible households. Those who applied November 19 – December 12 will not receive a grant from this program. Due to time limitations, CCS did not send notification emails to households that applied November 19 – December 12.

Again, funds for both Individual Assistance and Housing Assistance programs are distributed on a first come, first served basis.

CCS posts program updates on its website, ccsak.org. The most recent update was posted January 7. Otherwise, due to a high volume of applications, as well as calls and emails, CCS is not able to provide individuals with updates on the status of their application. CCS informs applicants by email when their application has been reviewed and a determination has been made.

The Juneau Assembly will consider adding more funding to the programs. The issue is scheduled for the February 3 Assembly Finance Committee and will need Assembly action to approve.