Governor Albert Bryan announced Monday that the territory received $21 million from the federal government “to help people in distress with their (residential) rent. “The money is designed to help pay your landlord,” Mr. Bryan stated while speaking during the administration’s weekly Covid-19 response update. Previously, Senator Marvin Blyden stated the total received to be $12 million.
The governor explained that if the average rent is $800, it means there is enough money to cover 26,500 individual months of rent.
“If you’re a landlord and you are in distress, please share this with your tenant who may have lost income due to the Covid-19 pandemic,” stated the governor.
While not all the information was available about how to receive the funds, Mr. Bryan told landlords and tenants to get their paperwork prepared so that when the administration announces the details, those eligible would be ready to collect.
Mr. Bryan stressed that the checks will be cut to landlords, not tenants.
Senator Marvin Blyden, who chairs the 34th Legislature’s Committee on Housing, Transportation & Telecommunications, stated last week, “When we enable tenants to pay their rent, we also provide a lifeline to many homeowners, who depend on rental income to assist them in paying their mortgage and other obligations.
“As such, it is simply impossible to overstate the importance of moving on this immediately. I have spoken to the governor before on this issue, and it is time now to get the ball rolling and to get this money to our people who need it so desperately.”