The Kansas Emergency Rental Assistance (KERA) program was launched on March 15.
A new program providing rent, utility, and internet-access assistance to households experiencing financial hardships due to the COVID-19 pandemic is now accepting applications at https://kera.kshousingcorp.org/kera#/.
The assistance covers up to 12 months of rent and rental arrears (money past due), up to three months of prospective rent at a time, even if the household does not have rental arrears, and past due residential utility and home energy (electric, gas, water, sewer and trash services), and internet costs.
The KERA program is funded through the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021, which provided the state of Kansas nearly $200 million in rental assistance funding. The Kansas Housing Resources Corporation (KHRC) will serve as the administrator of the majority of these funds through the KERA program.
Those eligible to apply include tenants who rent their home, tenants whose 2020 household income did not exceed 80 percent of the area’s median income, households where at least one member is experiencing documented financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, or at least one member of the household is uncertain of where they will stay or may become homeless without housing assistance.
To apply for the program, both the tenant and their landlord must apply online via a joint application process. The landlord completes online certification and the tenant submits the online application. The landlord and tenant are then notified when the application is processed. If approved, the landlord or service provider receive funds directly from the Kansas Housing Resources Corp. (KHRC). The landlord or service provider than applies assistance to the tenant’s account.
The BPU will be lifting the disconnect moratorium on March 31, and will resume its normal disconnect process and business operations on April 1, according to a BPU spokesman.
Customers are encouraged to stay current with their bills to avoid getting too far behind, the spokesman stated. If there are any BPU billing or customer service questions, call 913-573-9190 and a utility representative is available to assist.
Improvements are scheduled this week on Strong and Metropolitan avenues in Kansas City, Kansas. (KDOT map)
A bike and pedestrian path project, with curbs, resurfacing and sidewalk, began on Monday on Strong and Metropolitan avenues in Kansas City, Kansas.
The project is awaiting a better weather forecast before continuing Thursday or Friday, according to officials.
The project will be from 42nd Street to 24th Street on Strong Avenue to Metropolitan Avenue, and along Metropolitan Avenue from 24th Street to 12th Street.
Work is scheduled from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday and Saturdays as necessary, weather permitting, according to officials. The project completion date is at the end of May, according to the Kansas Department of Transportation.
Curb and sidewalk construction is expected to begin on the south side of Strong Avenue between 36th Street and 25th Street, where on-street parking will not be allowed, the sidewalk closed and pedestrians will be detoured to the north side of the street. Once the south side is complete, construction will begin on the north side of Strong Avenue.
Parking will not be allowed in areas designated as “no parking.”
Traffic will be controlled using one lane of traffic, a flagging operation, signs and traffic cones, according to officials. Drivers should expect a 15-minute delay and may want to find an alternate route.
All businesses will remain open and accessible, according to officials.
J.M. Fahey Construction Co. of Grandview, Missouri, is the contractor on the $439,000 project.
KDOT encouraged motorists to be alert and obey signs when approaching and driving through a highway work zone, and wear safety belts. More road construction projects are listed at www.kandrive.org, or call 5-1-1.
