September 16, 2021
The Emergency Rental Assistance Program for landlords and tenants isn’t rolling out very smoothly for St. Lawrence County.
The applications are being filed, but the payments are slow in coming in, according to Courtnie Toms, deputy director of Maximizing Independent Living Choices in Massena.
Ms. Toms was unable to attend Thursday’s meeting of the St. Lawrence County Fair Housing Task Force. But, in a written report, she said her office, as well as the St. Lawrence County Department of Social Services, has filed 414 applications completed by both the landlord and the tenant. They have, however, only received three payments from the Office of Temporary Disability Assistance, which is in charge of sending out payments.
She said Maximizing Independent Living Choices has assisted approximately 215 tenant and 20 landlord applications. Of the total applications, Ms. Toms said the majority are from the Ogdensburg and Massena areas.
