HOPE Program Stabilizes Families

Roxboro Housing Authority residents attended Debt Management Thursdays event and received HOPE grant application assistance.

Roxboro Housing Authority (RHA) residents received state rental assistance to cover outstanding rent and utility bills, keeping families housed and together safely under one roof.

Over 50 residents received application assistance from RHA staff, which required lease uploads to the state program's website. The result: the agency received over $50,000 in Housing Opportunities and Prevention of Evictions (HOPE) program funds. 

The HOPE program provides rent and utility assistance to low-income renters that are experiencing financial hardship due to the economic impacts of COVID-19. The program helps prevent evictions and utility disconnections to promote housing stability during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.  Throughout 2021, Roxboro Housing promoted and assisted residents with the online application process. Applications were accepted up to Dec. 2021, with the continuation of funding to help families in need in early 2022.

Residents first contacted Mr. Froncello Bumpass, RHA housing manager, to set up a repayment agreement.  After establishing a plan, RHA staff (Ms. Annie Graham, Resident Opportunities Self-Sufficiency (ROSS) Coordinator; and Mr. Larry Mayfield, Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Coordinator) assisted residents with the HOPE rent and utility assistance online application. By completing both steps, residents ensured that their family had a place to call home as state funds were sent directly to RHA.

All residents that received state assistance must continue to pay rent and utilities. The HOPE program guarantees three months of housing from the grant award date; otherwise, the landlord can proceed with the eviction process.

Follow-up meetings during the annual recertification period, which started Feb. 7, 2022, allow residents an opportunity to chart out a payment plan, if necessary.