PHOENIX — Mesa’s Emergency Rental and Utility Assistance Program — which began in 2020 to aid low-income residents during the COVID-19 pandemic — closed.

More than 9,500 households received funding from a pot of $56 million in federal funding through February 2023 to assist with mortgage, rent and utilities payments and avoid evictions.

Funds stemmed from the U.S. Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, which authorized $12 billion in COVID-19 relief funding.

“We are grateful for the direct federal funding to help both renters and landlords with rent and utility payments when they were financially impacted by the pandemic and for the mortgage assistance funding to help residents keep their homes,” Mesa Community Services Deputy Director Mary Brandon said in a press release.

“We also appreciate the many city and temporary employees who helped make the ERAP program a huge success.”

Those who qualified for the assistance were Mesa residents whose finances were impacted by the pandemic due to reduced hours, job loss or medical expenses.

Other qualifiers included being unemployed for at least 90 days and living in a household at or below 50% of the area median income.

Follow @KTAR923