skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Tuesday, October 15, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Lebanese children have been displaced; hospital facility fees have cost Colorado patients $13 billion; and a Wyoming county without a hospital is finally getting one.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas warns about false claims affecting FEMA's hurricane relief, Vice President Harris prepares for a Fox News interview, and local Democrats want more election funds in key states.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Hurricane Helene devastated the Appalachians and some rural towns worry larger communities could get more attention, ranked choice voting on the Oregon ballot next month gets mixed reviews, and New York farmers are earning extra money feeding school kids.

Utah Tenants Behind on Rent Could Soon Face Evictions

play audio
Play

Friday, July 3, 2020   

SALT LAKE CITY - Groups working for affordable housing in Utah say the next two weeks could be "crunch time" for people trying to catch up on their unpaid rent.

Thousands of Utahns either lost their jobs or had their hours cut - part of the staggering economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis. Until now, most have been able to stay in their homes, thanks to an eviction moratorium and assistance programs put in place by the state.

But Tara Rollins, director of the Utah Housing Coalition, says tenants could soon run out of options.

"The first wave is going to be in the next couple of weeks," says Rollins. "And then the next wave will be when the other moratoriums are lifted, as well as when we no longer will be receiving unemployment and that extra $600."

The financial website "Self" finds that, statewide, a Utah household has to work 46 hours a week to afford the average monthly rent of just over $1,000 for a two-bedroom apartment.

The Salt Lake City metro average rent is $1,176 dollars a month. The national average is $1,200.

Rollins says Utah lawmakers recently moved the starting date for a rental assistance program to July 1st that could help some renters and homeowners, but it could take days or weeks to get the program started.

In the meantime, she says, the number of novel coronavirus cases is rising and that could stall Utah's economic recovery.

"Our numbers are going up," says Rollins. "So, we're kind of holding our breath to see if they're going to shut things down again. I know they don't want to do that, but people aren't wearing their masks."

Rollins say her group has worked with the Utah Legislature to use state and federal money to help people stay in their homes as long as possible.

"Our legislators are watching, they're hearing, they're listening on this," says Rollins. "And housing is very important to making sure our economy gets going again."

She says the Utah Housing Coalition has teamed up with Utah Community Action to offer an online version of "The Tenant Toolkit," which covers renters' rights and other information. She says more resources are available through the Utah 211 help line.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
The Florida Association of Community Health Centers has a Disaster Relief Fund, which raises money to assist health center staff and their families in recovering from the devastation of hurricanes Helene and Milton. (Pixabay)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Following Hurricane Helene, Hurricane Milton left a trail of destruction across the Sunshine State and the combination has pushed some Community …


Social Issues

play sound

OutNebraska's Prairie Pride Film Festival returns for its 14th year this week. Johnny Redd, communications manager for OutNebraska, said the …

Health and Wellness

play sound

"Facility fees" originally meant to help struggling hospitals keep emergency room doors open 24 hours a day are now being applied to outpatient servic…


Ambulances near Pinedale, Wyoming drove 94,000 miles last year to compensate for a lack of local medical services, according to the Sublette County Hospital District. (Wikimedia Commons)

Health and Wellness

play sound

By Sarah Jane Tribble for KFF Health News.Broadcast version by Kathleen Shannon for Wyoming News Service reporting for the KFF Health News-Public News…

Social Issues

play sound

New York City election integrity is under added scrutiny after Mayor Eric Adams' indictment. Part of the indictment alleges Adams broke campaign …

Cuts to an at-home program helping people with speech difficulties could leave some Oregonians struggling to communicate. (ChiccoDodiFC/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Providence Health and Services could close an at-home program enabling communication by people with diseases making it hard or impossible to speak…

Social Issues

play sound

Pennsylvania's landscape is undergoing a transformation, paid for with billions in federal funding from the Inflation Reduction Act and the …

Social Issues

play sound

In-person early voting begins next week in Wisconsin, which will again be in the spotlight when election results come into focus. Officials said …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021