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To best protect the safety and wellbeing of our customers and employees during the COVID-19 pandemic, Housing and Community Development continues to conduct business online at www.mesaaz.gov/housing and via telephone (480-644-3536) and fax (480-644-2923). The offices at 200 S. Center St., Bldg. 1 remain closed. A secured drop box is available at the front entrance of the office to submit changes or requested documents.
Mesa Housing Authority (MHA) is concerned for our Mesa residents, participants, landlords and housing staff. MHA has implemented several changes to our processes to allow continued service to our landlords and participants. Those changes, along with housing forms, are available at www.mesaaz.gov/housing. If you have any questions, please contact your assigned Housing Specialist.
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The City of Mesa (City) is accepting applications for the 2021 Emergency Rental and Utility Assistance Program (ERAP) in response to COVID-19’s financial impact to Mesa residents. Funded through the U.S. Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, the program provides rent and utility assistance to prevent eviction and homelessness.
To qualify, you must be a city of Mesa resident impacted by COVID-19 through a significant life-changing event such as loss of job, reduced hours and medical expenses. Your household monthly gross income must be at or below 80 percent of the area median income depending on the number of household members. Priority will be given to applicants who have any household member unemployed for the last 90 days or longer due to COVID-19 or the total household income is at or below 50 percent of the area median income.
Applicants to the 2021 ERAP program must have documentation including a photo ID, proof of income for all household members for the last 60 days, a current lease agreement and a current utility bill. Assistance is based on availability of funding.
Online and paper applications are available at https://www.mesaaz.gov/government/mesa-cares. Residents needing assistance completing the application may visit MesaCAN (Mesa Community Action Network), 635 N. Broadway, Monday to Friday between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. They may also call (480) 644-5440 or email ERAPinfo@mesaaz.gov for assistance.
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The City of Mesa launched the Mesa CARES initiative last March in an effort to connect individuals, families, and businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic to available resources. The majority of Mesa CARES programs were offered between March and December in response to community needs.
The Mesa CARES Resource and Call Center was created in the early weeks of the pandemic to help community members find essential local services such as food, employment resources and utility and rental support.
Among the accomplishments of Mesa CARES:
- Eviction and Foreclosure Prevention - The City used CARES and other funding to create eviction and foreclosure programs to help Mesa residents keep their homes. The City partnered with A New Leaf’s Mesa Community Action Network (MesaCAN) to assist residents behind on their rent and mortgage payments due to the pandemic. As a result, 1,729 applicants were assisted with an average housing payment assistance of $3,875.
- Utility Assistance - The City partnered with MesaCAN to help residents unable to pay their utility bills during the pandemic (City residential utility shut-offs were suspended from March to October). As a result, 8,750 applicants were assisted with an average payment of $590.
- Feeding Mesa - With many residents saying food security was their top economic concern during COVID-19, the City created Feeding Mesa to provide nutritious food and prepared meals to the community. The City partnered with existing services, non-profit organizations and Mesa-based restaurants to four Feeding Mesa programs: food box distribution, drive-through canned food drives, prepared meal distribution and Adopt-A-Grandparent. Combined, the Feeding Mesa programs provided 3.73 million meals for Mesa families.
- Operation Off the Streets - This program offered transitional housing, food from the Feeding Mesa programs, counseling and other services for people experiencing homelessness. The program was an innovative collaboration led by the Mesa Police Department with social service partner Community Bridges, Inc. and local hotels. The program served 363 adults and 68 children and helped 188 people graduate to permanent housing.
Funding for the Mesa CARES Initiative, which expired Dec. 30, was from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act approved by Congress last March.
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The City of Mesa will hold a series of public meetings to consider potential projects and review funding requests received from City departments and non-profit organizations for its Program Year 2021-22 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME), Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) and Human Services programs.
Presentations were recently made by the presiding agencies to the Housing and Community Development Advisory Board via Zoom. City Council’s Community and Cultural Development Committee is scheduled to meet Thursday, March 11 at 8 a.m. to review and make funding recommendations for both the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Human Services 21-22 Annual Action Plan and COVID-19 funding recommendations allocated through ESG and CDBG. City Council will review and make final funding recommendations at a Study Session March 25. Councilmembers will participate virtually.
A public comment period for the Annual Action Plan will take place from March 1 to March 30. City Council is tentatively scheduled to vote on the plan at its April 5 meeting. The Annual Action Plan will be submitted to HUD by April 30.
Funding for the CDBG, HOME and ESG programs is provided by HUD and is used for housing and community development activities that primarily benefit low- and moderate-income persons and assist in the prevention or elimination of slum or blighting influences. Funding for the Human Services programs comes from the City’s General Fund and the ABC: A Better Community program consisting of donations from the public made through their utility bill payments.
For more information, visit www.mesaaz.gov/residents/community-development and click on the link for “FY 21/22 Funding Schedule.”
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Justin Boyd is the new Housing and Community Development Administrator
Michele Payakovich is the new Housing and Community Development Coordinator
Tracy Armenta is the new Housing Specialist Trainee
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MON., MARCH 1. CITY COUNCIL. 5:45pm
THUR., MARCH 4. HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY BOARD. 6pm
THUR., MARCH 11. CITY COUNCIL COMMUNITY AND CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE. 8am (Funding recommendations for CDBG, HOME, ESG and Human Services projects on agenda)
MON., MARCH 15. CITY COUNCIL. 5:45pm
THUR., MARCH 25. CITY COUNCIL STUDY SESSION. 7:30am
THUR., APRIL 1. HOUSING GOVERNING BOARD. 7:30am (Mesa Housing Authority Annual Plan)
THUR., APRIL 1. HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY BOARD. 6pm
MON., APRIL 5. CITY COUNCIL. 5:45pm
MON., APRIL 19. CITY COUNCIL. 5:45pm
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