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Lifeline

Home Relief Fund Announcement 2020

News Release

Lifeline, Inc.

PO Box 496, Painesville, OH 44077

(440) 354-2148

carried@lclifeline.org


Lifeline announces rent, mortgage, and water assistance for Ohioans impacted by COVID-19

October 28, 2020

PAINESVILLE, Ohio— Lifeline, Inc., who serves Lake & Geauga Counties has announced that there are funds available to assist households impacted by COVID-19 with rent or mortgage payments and to prevent water and sewer disconnections beginning November 2, 2020.

Lifeline will be partnering with the Fair Housing Resource Center for triage and screening of applicants for rent and mortgage assistance. Lake & Geauga County residents, who are at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level and have fallen behind on rent or mortgage payments are encouraged to contact Fair Housing Resource Center at 440-392-0147 to submit an application for assistance. Residents who have water or sewer bill disconnection notices can contact Lifeline directly for assistance at 440-354-2148. Funds are available for a limited time and applicants are encouraged to reach out early.

“We are thrilled to have this resource available to help our community maintain safe and healthy homes for their families as we recover from the economic fallout from COVID-19,” said Carrie Dotson, Executive Director at Lifeline. “Though the funds are available for a short time, this new resource and our experience administering similar programs will help hundreds of households once again find stable ground.”

Governor Mike DeWine announced the availability of funds last Friday during a joint press conference with members of the General Assembly. The funding is part of the CARES Act stimulus package and are available until December 30, 2020.

“Though the eviction moratorium by the Centers for Disease Control has prevented some residential evictions for non-payment of rent and mortgage bills, late fees they are still accumulating,” said Dotson. “This funding will make a high impact, will keep families in their homes now, and will prevent future evictions.”

Residents outside of Lake & Geauga Counties can find their local Community Action Agency by visiting https://oacaa.org/agency-directory/.

Lifeline for the Empowerment and Development of Consumers was founded in 1973 with the mission of helping Lake County residents by providing them assistance and life skills programming that is designed to increase self-sufficiency. In 1980 Lifeline became a participating agency of the United Way of Lake County, UWLC, and in 1987 was designated a community action agency by the Ohio Development Services Agency, ODSA.  In 2008, Lifeline was designated as a mental health agency by the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. Lifeline received interim designation as Geauga County’s community action agency in 2020.

Today Lifeline continues with the same mission of helping Lake County’s low-income residents break the cycle of poverty and make the transition from agency-dependency to self-sufficiency. Lifeline’s current programming includes services in the healthcare, housing & energy assistance, information & referral services and consumer education & job training areas. Our motto is ‘helping people, changing lives.’ Lifeline is currently funded by the UWLC and by grants through the ODSA, the Lake County Board of Commissioners, the Lake County ADAMHS Board, Lake County Department of Job & Family Services, the City of Mentor, the Western Reserve Junior Service League, the Lake County Board of Developmental Disabilities, Lake Health and through private donors.