KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — People struggling to pay their bills will now have some extra help thanks to the new Knox Housing Assistance program.
Knoxville leaders announced the new program on Monday.
It aims to help tenants pay past due rent or utility bills.
Spanish Version: Líderes en Knoxville anuncian programa de ayuda a la vivienda
Both the tenant and landlord will have to apply to get funding, and priority will be given based on income and unemployment.
Local leaders said this is an important step in recovering from the pandemic.
"We are really lucky to have such a committed group of housing specialists and collaborative partnership with our county and many communities don't have experts.. this is going to help our community recover from the pandemic faster," Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon said.
Right now, the program has processed about 600 applications. Local leaders said the first payments will be sent out this week to utility providers and landlords.