The Kalamazoo Continuum of Care has revamped its RentAble program to help more people overcome barriers to keep or obtain housing.
RentAble is a pilot program managed by the Kalamazoo CoC and funded by the City of Kalamazoo. It provides one-time assistance up to $2,000 per household to qualified individual or family renters. Whereas the program initially covered only security deposits, RentAble funds can now be used for application fees, to offset rent increases, to catch up on past-due rent or utility costs, and other related expenses, including security deposits.
Patrese Griffin, Kalamazoo CoC Director, said cost barriers are starting to tick up for many renters because of rising rents, limited housing stock and the end of pandemic aid. For households with income below the ALICE Threshold—that is, people who are Asset Limited, Income Constrained and Employed, not earning enough income to be financially stable—even one unmet or unexpected cost can leave them without a place to call home.
“The barriers to housing that ALICE households face can be overwhelming,” Griffin said. “Our goal with RentAble is to knock those barriers down so more people have a safe, stable, affordable place to live.”
To be eligible for assistance, applicants must meet these requirements:
- Must current live within or moving to a location within the Kalamazoo city limits.
- Have income between 60% and 120% of the Area Median Income.
- Must be experiencing one or more barriers to securing or maintaining housing, such as a prior eviction or adverse action; a previous incarceration or arrest record; nontraditional sources of income (such as a portion of income from government assistance or other sources); poor credit history or prior bankruptcy; or experienced domestic violence or human trafficking.
The Kalamazoo CoC has launched a new website where individuals can request aid through RentAble as well as learn more about the work of the CoC. The website is kzoococ.org. Applicants can also call the Kalamazoo CoC office at (269) 343-2524 on weekdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; or stop by the United Way of South Central Michigan’s Kalamazoo office, 709 S. Westnedge Ave., in Kalamazoo.