Columbia Standard

South Carolina Housing said it's doing all it can to make the paperwork strain easier on folks facing the consequences of being in arrears in rent and utilities payments.

“States have a responsibility to ensure the rental assistance funds Congress allocated are disbursed expeditiously  & equitably,” U.S. House Majority Whip James Clyburn of South Carolina posted on Twitter. “I applaud SC State Housing for this moved to help SC families remain in their homes.”

With less than 3.5% of $271.8 million earmarked to help renters distributed to date, the new plan calls for reduced paperwork requirements and expanded outreach efforts, The Post and Courier reported.

With the changes, according to The Post and Courier, many renters won’t have to provide extra documentation, just their identities.

Those changes could help administrators instantly process roughly 7,500 applications that have stalled due to inadequate documentation, The Post and Courier reported.

Up to 12 months of rent and utilities are covered, The Post and Courier reported.

According to The Post and Courier, the federal government allocated $45 billion for the program designed to help renters impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic stay in their homes. 

By the end of June, only about $3 billion of the $45 billion has been distributed, The Post and Courier reported.