KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) —The city of Knoxville and Knox County are working together on a joint housing initiative to help residents impacted by loss of income in the coronavirus pandemic.

The Knox Housing Assistance Program is a joint Knoxville/Knox County initiative to assist residents with rent and/or utility bills. The program is open to income-qualified city and county renters where one or more individuals in the home have qualified for unemployment or experienced financial hardships due directly, or indirectly, to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Renter households are eligible to receive assistance for up to 12 months of rent and utility assistance.

Households at or below 50% of the adjusted median income for Knox County or those where one or more household members have been unemployed for the 90 days prior to the date of their application will receive priority funding.

For rental assistance, applications are required by both the tenant and the landlord. As a tenant you may apply for rent and utility assistance within the same application or you may apply for either type of assistance individually. As a landlord, you may apply for multiple tenants through a single application.

Households at highest risk of experiencing housing instability, may be eligible for future rent payments based on the availability of funding. Applications will be accepted until all funds have been reserved.

For more information visit knoxhousingassistance.org.