The Social Development Commission has started disbursing new rental assistance funds. Here’s what you need to know. | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
PrincessSafiya Byers
May 19, 2021
The Social Development Commission has been flooded with applications for rental assistance. (Photo by Adam Carr)
In late February, the City of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County received more than $28 million to provide new emergency rental assistance for struggling tenants.
The Social Development Commission, or SDC, was allocated $17.6 million of that amount to assist city residents.
Since then, thousands have contacted the SDC seeking help.
Eligible applicants must be an adult Wisconsin resident with a household income at or below 80 percent of the county median income in the month of or prior to the application date.
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Once approved, eligible individuals may receive up to 15 months of aid in a combination of rental payments and/or security deposits. These payments will be paid directly to the landlord on behalf of the tenant.
SDC officials say the organization has been swamped with requests and has a backlog of cases.
We talked with George Hinton, the CEO of the SDC, to answer questions about the process.
Here is what he said.
Is there anything new that people should know about the application process?
Yes, everything has officially transferred online. You can find out anything you need to know about the status of your application through the application portal.
What are the eligibility criteria?
How long should people wait to hear back about rent assistance now?
This application process is a little longer than the ones from the first two pots of money. There are a few weeks on average wait.
What has changed about the process of applying?
More information is required for the application. Here is what’s needed.
Can I apply if I received rent assistance in the past?
Yes. If you have received rent assistance and are still in need you can reapply. However, SDC does no encourage people to apply through both SDC and Community Advocates. It can slow down your approval process.
How many people have you served so far?
Through the Wisconsin Rental Assistance Program, SDC served 3,483 families, disbursing $6.2 million.
Through the Milwaukee Rental Assistance Program, SDC served 4,655 families,  disbursing $13.2 million.
Through the Milwaukee Emergency Rental Assistance Program, which started being disbursed in late April, about 100 applications have been process so far, with more applications being processed.
When you started in June 2020, there was a backlog of 24,000 names. How many are there now?
There are about 4,000 applications being processed now, with more coming in every day. We assume the federal stimulus checks have helped slow the need, but the need is obviously still there.
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