Lakewood Unveils 2 Rent Relief Programs For Residents, Businesses

LAKEWOOD, OH — Two new rent relief programs were unveiled by Lakewood officials on Thursday.

One program will help residents struggling to pay rent due to economic hardships caused by COVID-19. The second program will aid small businesses in Lakewood with rent. While similar to the city's first rent relief program for businesses, eligibility rules have changed, meaning more businesses may now be eligible for rent relief.

Helping Residents

The Residential Rent Relief program will make approximately $1.5 million in funding available to low and moderate-income tenants in Lakewood. Funds will be available to residents who are unable to pay their rent due to COVID-19-related economic hardships.

“Lakewood’s residents are our most important asset. Many are struggling to make ends meet. We are still waiting for our state and federal leaders to provide us all with the relief we need, but, in the interim, some federal dollars have reached us and I am pleased to offer this unique grant program to support our residents," Mayor Meghan George said.

The program will offer rent assistance retroactive to April 1. Applicants must be income-eligible based on HUD 2020 Income Guidelines. All rent payments will be made directly to landlords on the tenant's behalf.

"We are so fortunate in Lakewood to have the resources to help our residents, partners like CHN and LCSC with the experience to support the application and screening process, and a leader like Mayor George who can bring those pieces together," said Shawn Leininger, director of planning for Lakewood.

Funding for the program is derived from the CARES Act and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Lakewood is partnering with CHN Housing Partners and Lakewood Community Services Center to administer the rent relief program.

For more information on the Residential Rent Relief program, and to apply for funding, visit the city's website, or contact Lakewood's Planning & Development Department at planning@lakewoodoh.net.

Helping Businesses

Lakewood is also unveiling the second round of its Small Business Rent Relief program. While similar to the city's first program, which ran from March through May, eligibility for funding has expanded. Small businesses in offices, and without a storefront, are now eligible for rent relief.

“My administration created this program in the early days of the quarantine back in March to ensure city resources were being granted to the small business community in a direct, streamlined, and useful way. I am pleased to announce more resources are available and we are adjusting the eligibility of the program to reach applicants who may not have qualified during our initial rollout but are in dire need, like so many businesses in our community," George said.

Income-eligible small businesses, which have experienced a reduction in revenue due to COVID-19, are eligible for rent relief. Each business can receive up to $7,000 to cover rent and some payroll expenses.

Applications for the program are being accepted now and will be accepted until funding dries up. The program is being funded using money from the federal CARES Act program.

While the city's first rent relief program had approximately $185,000 in funding to be distributed, the second round of assistance has $445,870 for distribution.

The first rent relief program was focused on small businesses with storefronts in Lakewood. This new round of assistance will be offered to more businesses. Here's the criteria for eligibility:

• Be physically located in Lakewood
• Be in good standing (meaning no tax delinquencies)
• Business must have been started prior to Jan. 1, 2020
• Business must employ five or fewer employees, including the business owner
  • Combined employee hours cannot exceed 200 per week
• Businesses must rent a retail or commercial space and cannot have an ownership interest in the building they rent at
  • Home businesses are not eligible for relief
• The business owner must meet HUD income eligibility criteria

“This program was a clear demonstration of a city government’s commitment to its local small businesses. Now that Mayor George has asked not only to continue the program due to its incredible demand, but to expand the program and its eligibility requirements. I cannot imagine many other cities in the region or state who are doing as much as the city of Lakewood to support small businesses in their greatest time of need. My department has been working tirelessly to deliver these resources to those in our city who need them," Leininger said.

Applications for the rent relief program can be found on the city's website.