ATLANTA – The Georgia Rental Assistance Program and Georgia Power are partnering to help eligible Georgians with past due utility bills.
Release:
Since 2021, the Georgia Rental Assistance (GRA) Program has provided rent, utility and other housing related assistance to qualifying tenants and landlords who have suffered a financial hardship due to or during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, GRA is partnering with Georgia Power to help even more Georgians get the financial support they need by paying eligible customers’ past due utility bills. As part of the Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA2) stimulus fund under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, GRA has allocated $44.5 million to pay the outstanding utility balances of eligible Georgia Power customers. This partnership with Georgia Power is another effort to ensure renters are receiving the financial assistance available to them to pay past due utility balances and remain safely in their homes.
“The Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) has administered the GRA program since its inception in March 2021. At DCA, it’s our mission to provide safe and affordable housing to Georgians and this begins with access to not only housing, but, to utilities, water, HVAC, and more,” said Tonya Cureton Curry, Deputy Commissioner of Housing at DCA. “We believe adequate housing is the first step for individuals and families to grow and prosper. We are grateful to partners like Georgia Power who can help connect their millions of customers to the financial assistance available through our housing programs.”
Beginning Friday, November 4, 2022, Georgia Power customers renting in a qualified zip code with past due utility bills may be eligible for this assistance. This initiative with Georgia Power is available to assist more than 200,000 eligible tenants living in 294 identified zip codes across the state. These zip codes have an average household income that is below 80% of the area median income (AMI), per Treasury guidelines. The list of qualifying zip codes is available here.
“At Georgia Power, we understand that energy costs are an important part of every family’s budget and that the COVID-19 pandemic presented unique challenges for many customers trying to make ends meet,” said Bentina Terry, Senior VP, Customer Strategy & Solutions, Georgia Power. “That’s why we work to help our customers save money and energy every day, as well as connect customers with programs and resources such as the Georgia Rental Assistance Program to aid them in paying their utility bills. Collaborations like this one between GRA and Georgia Power help make vital assistance available to so many more Georgians when they’re in need – and we’re proud to do that.”
To date, the GRA program has expended approximately $830.4M to keep more than 48,594 tenants safely housed.
To determine eligibility for assistance with outstanding Georgia Power utility bills through this program, please email us at utilityassistance@dca.ga.gov.