All good things must come to an end – and that goes for COVID relief programs as well.

On Tuesday, June 13, Guilford County announced that it’s closing down an emergency plan that went into effect during the pandemic to assist those who were facing eviction or having their power or water cut off.

The Guilford County Cares Emergency Rental and Utility Assistance Grant Program will be over on Friday, June 16. That initiative, which kicked off in February of 2021, helped county residents who couldn’t make utility or rent payments as a result of the pandemic.

According to a June 13 press release, Guilford County processed over 15,000 applications for assistance and paid out an average of about $2,800 per application for more than 11,000 applications.  Those numbers are thought to be accurate, but the county notes that those are the unaudited figures.

The $51 million program was funded by federal and state relief money as well as $700,000 in local dollars.

All funds will be spent by June 16, and the program will close.

According to county officials, “The county will continue to process existing applications for assistance as long as funding allows. There is no guarantee an existing application will receive funding, even if it meets the eligibility criteria. Once funding is fully expended, no additional applications will be considered. To check the status of a specific application, please call Social Services at 336-641-3300.”

While that program is ending, there’s still plenty of support available for renters facing eviction or a utility shutoff including the following:

  • The Tenant Education Advocacy and Mediation Project, which is a partnership between Legal Aid of North Carolina and UNCG Center for Housing and Community Studies. The program provides legal representation, as well as mediation services, to both tenants and landlords.
  • The Guilford County Division of Social Services, which offers an Energy Assistance Program that includes water bill assistance as well. DSS can be reached by calling 336-641-3000
  • Greensboro Urban Ministry, which offers water, power and gas utility assistance. Call 336-271-5959 for details.
  • The Salvation Army of High Point, which can be reached at 336-881-5400.
  • The United Way – call 211 to get help from that organization.
  • Faith Action International House 336-379-0037 (Note that this assistance is only for refugees.)
  • Welfare Reform Liaison Project at 336-691-5780. This group helps with housing expenses and utilities.
  • North Carolina Housing Finance Agency and the NC Homeowner Assistance Fund. This is for homeowners “needing help preventing mortgage delinquencies, defaults, displacements, and foreclosures due to COVID-19 negative impacts.” Program staff can be reached by calling 1-855-696-2423

For a full list of resources, you can visit guilfordcountync.gov/housinghelp.

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