The team at Emergency Shelter Services (ESS) of Berrien County has successfully found a way to help both tenants and landlords impacted by the pandemic, stemming the tide of eviction notices.
ESS Interim Executive Director Reshella Hawkins reports that her team recently received confirmation of a $3.9 million federal grant to support the local population of Berrien County. The CERA grant, or COVID-19 Eviction Emergency Rental Assistance Grant, will go towards helping tenants and landlords within the county who have been impacted by the COVID pandemic.
Hawkins says, “Due to these troubling times, it’s not uncommon to hear of tenants who haven’t been able to pay rent for up to 10 months. When we entered quarantine, a lot of people lost their jobs and bills began to pile up between rent and utilities. This is just another way we are able to support our community when the times get tough.”
ESS acts as the Housing Assessment and Resourcing Agency for Berrien county, and in 2020 received $1.2 Million for eviction diversion programs. The intent was the same — assisting individuals who have been impacted by COVID-19 with funding to ensure they didn’t lose their housing. Through the course of the year they were able to assist 400 households. A little over a year into the pandemic, the need has increased and Hawkins says their expectation is to assist even more individuals and families.
Through partnership with the Southwest Michigan Community Action Agency (SMCAA) and Ferry Street Resource Center, Emergency Shelter Services will be able to support both rent and utility back payments, and help ensure funding is distributed equitably throughout the community.
To assist with financial administration and grant compliance, ESS is expanding its team for the duration of the grant and will be bringing on Ron Griesinger, former CFO of Cornerstone Alliance in a part-time role, with continued support from Alloyd Blackmon, Procurement Director at Whirlpool Corporation.
If you or a loved one are in need of a service like this, you can reach out to ESS through the HARA intake line 269-277-5055 or you can find more information on COVID-19 Eviction Assistance at http://www.essberrien.org/rentalassistance.
Emergency Shelter Services is a nonprofit human services agency that offers temporary emergency housing to homeless women and families. Resources available to Berrien County include the Emergency Shelter, the Connection, and the 6 Degree Resale Store. To learn more, visit http://essberrien.org/about or join them on Facebook.
