Application Submittals for the Escambia CARES Rent and Mortgage Program to Close Friday, Sept. 4 at 5 p.m.

Due to the high volume of submissions received since applications opened on Tuesday, Sept. 1, Escambia County will temporarily close application submittals on Friday, Sept. 4, 2020, at 5 p.m. CST, for the Escambia CARES Rent and Mortgage Assistance Program to allow staff to review applications. All applicants will be notified by county staff regarding their eligibility, and the county asks applicants for their patience during the review process.

Application windows for future rounds of funding for rent and mortgage assistance will be announced at a later date. Funding in the amount of $813,451 for this program was made available by the Florida Housing Finance Corporation Coronavirus Relief Funds and eligibility requirements were set by the state. 

The Escambia CARES Rent and Mortgage Assistance Program is separate from the Escambia CARES Family Emergency Financial Assistance Grant or the Escambia CARES Business Emergency Financial Assistance Grant Programs. The dates to apply for these programs will be announced soon.

Eligible applicants for the Escambia CARES Rent and Mortgage Assistance Program must have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Eligible expenses must occur between March 1, 2020, and Dec. 30, 2020. Maximum assistance will be $3,000 per household and will be paid directly to the landlord, mortgage or utility company.

General eligibility requirements for the Escambia CARES Rent and Mortgage Assistance Program:

• Escambia County resident (including City of Pensacola and Town of Century)
• Income adversely impacted by COVID-19 (documentation required)
• Total household income cannot exceed 120% Area Median Income
• This program is for past due rent, mortgage and utilities ONLY. Utility assistance can only be provided in conjunction with mortgage or rent assistance.

Income requirements for the Escambia CARES Rent and Mortgage Assistance Program are as follows:  

Applications are available online at myescambia.com/CARES. Paper applications are available for pickup at the following locations for citizens who do not have online access:

• Escambia County Neighborhood Enterprise Division, 221 Palafox Place, Suite 200 (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
• Brownsville Community Center, 3200 W. DeSoto St. (Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
• Century City Hall, 7995 N Century Blvd. (starting Thursday during normal business hours)
• EREC/Walnut Hill Post Office, 4950 Highway 99A, Walnut Hill (Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
• All West Florida Public Libraries

Completed paper applications with attachments should be emailed to EscambiaCaresRentandMortgage@myescambia.com, faxed to 850-595-0342, or dropped off at the Brownsville Community Center or Neighborhood Enterprise Division by 5 p.m. on Friday. Please make sure all attachments are clear and legible. Applicants needing assistance with completing applications should call 850-595-1642 for further guidance.

General information on the program may be obtained by visiting myescambia.com/CARES, emailing EscambiaCaresRentandMortgage@myescambia.com or calling Meredith Reeves at 850-595-1642.

Previous News Releases about the Escambia CARES Rent and Mortgage Assistance Program

Rent, Mortgage & Utility Assistance Available through Escambia CARES Program, Aug. 31, 2020 

UPDATE: Rent, Mortgage & Utility Assistance Available through Escambia CARES Program, Sept. 1, 2020