ATLANTA — Thousands of Georgians say they are concerned after the Georgia Department of Community Affairs abruptly announced this week they’re halting all new applicants for rental assistance.
Tonya Curry, Georgia’s Deputy Commissioner of Housing, said the decision to halt applicants was to ensure that money didn’t run out.
“We are in the process of completing the final applications that are in our pipe line,” Curry said.
Channel 2′s Ashli Lincoln talked to Erin Willoughby, an attorney for Atlanta Legal Aid, who said Georgians were blindsided by the news.
“It was just very abrupt, happened at a really horrible time, neither advocates or tenants had any notice,” Willoughby said.
Katrina Young told Lincoln that she currently can’t work after a workplace back injury caused her to use her job.
Young said she was relying on the State rental assistance money to keep her a float. But she says she was stunned to learn they’re no longer accepting new applicants.
“It was just the way that they did it,” said Katrina Young. “It’s like adding insult to injury.”
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Willoughby says their office continues to provide legal assistance for approved Georgians who are still waiting for funds.
“This is a wide spread problem, this isn’t a few people who were left out in the cold, " Willoughby said.
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Curry says the State is working to ensure all approved applications get processed.
“Everyone who had an existing application in the portal was notified that their application was still being processed,” Curry said.
The state will use some the remaining rental assistance funds to help pay for approved applicants utility bills through a new partnership with Georgia Power.
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Here are metro Atlanta counties that are offering their own rental assistance programs:
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