LEE COUNTY, Fla. — In coordination with Lee County, the City of Fort Myers Community Development Department Housing Division is opening a new application period for rent and utility assistance for eligible residents of the City of Fort Myers.
A total of $2.8 million in assistance is available for those with rent and utility expenses in arrears for the past six months, plus another three months in prospective rent payments.
Residents can apply through the city’s Community Development online application portal at https://www.cityftmyers.com/2044/Rental-and-Utility-Assistance.
The online application portal will begin accepting applications at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, March 1. For those without access to a computer, call 239-321-7970 and customer service staff will enter the required information.
Applicants must reside within the City of Fort Myers municipal boundaries before the date of application. To determine if you live within the city limits, enter your address here: https://gis-cfm.opendata.arcgis.com/app/bb4dec4725fc4dbbbcdb85f8b0e494e2. Applicants may still qualify for Lee County assistance if they do not live within city limits. Payments will be made directly to the landlord and/or utility company.
Renting households at or below 80% area median income (AMI) facing homelessness or housing instability due to inability to pay rent and/or utilities as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic are eligible for assistance (please consult the table below). Affected households must be able to demonstrate the impact of COVID-19 on their household’s financial position.
Priority consideration will be given to households that fall under one or both of the following categories:
1. Household income below 50% of AMI.
2. One or more people in the household are unemployed and have not been employed for the last 90 days prior to application.
Citizens with questions regarding the application process for the emergency funds may go to the city website https://www.cityftmyers.com/2044/Rental-and-Utility-Assistance or contact staff directly at 239-321-7970 or tea@cityftmyers.com.
