Public housing agency extends Rental Assistance Program
By The Star Staff
After reaching the disbursement of $214 million in aid, Public Housing Administrator Alejandro Salgado Colón on Thursday announced the extension of the Rental Assistance Program.
The program, which assists beneficiaries in paying their home rent and their water and electricity bills, has a new allocation of $97 million until September 2023.
“Through this program, we have assisted thousands of Puerto Rican families who have faced economic problems during the past months and during the pandemic,” Salgado Colón said. “Today, we announce this new allocation that will allow us to continue helping many more families who, due to various circumstances, have had difficulty paying their rent, electricity, or water bills.”
To date, 71,372 families have benefited, for which $163.6 million has been disbursed in assistance for the payment of rent, $35.2 million for the cost of electricity, and $15.4 million for the payment of water bills.
“We have already disbursed $214 million in aid to families, and we will continue our efforts to bring this aid to more people,” Salgado Colón said.
Those who have already received assistance are eligible for the subsidy again as long as they have not reached the 18-month assistance cap.
To be eligible, tenants must have incomes below 80 percent of the area median income, as established by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
To apply for assistance and receive more information, interested persons can access the website www.ayudaparaturenta.com. They can also call 787-759-1888 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, except holidays.