County selects nonprofit partners for rental assistance

Greene County announced the selection of six nonprofits to help distribute some of the $8.8 million in federal rental assistance funds it received last month.

The Greene County Commission voted this week to work with Ozarks Area Community Action Corp.; Consumer Credit Counseling Services; Community Partnership of the Ozarks; Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri; Council of Churches of the Ozarks; and The Salvation Army, according to a news release. The county previously was selected for funds from the U.S. Treasury Department’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program to assist financially at-risk individuals in the community with rent and utilities.

The nonprofits are being provided $2.9 million to help facilitate the rental assistance, according to data provided by Greene County spokesperson Donna Barton. OACAC is receiving the most funding, at more than $1 million.

The other nonprofits and the amounts approved by the commission are:
• CPO, $615,000;
• Consumer Credit Counseling, $615,000;
• Catholic Charities, $410,000;
• Council of Churches, $180,000; and
• Salvation Army, $45,000.

“This vote by the commission helps all of the agencies involved in this process build the capacity needed with extra staffing and administrative equipment and supplies to meet our community’s need for rent and utility assistance,” said Greene County Budget Officer Jeff Scott, in the release. “We are pleased to keep this process moving and we are taking the necessary steps to get these much-needed funds into the community.”

The funds are part of the $900 billion COVID-19 stimulus package approved by Congress in December. The Emergency Rental Assistance Program makes up $25 billion of the funding approved by legislators.

The county also is planning to create a rental assistance hub with application information on its website. It's expected to become available in early March, according to the release.