Friday, March 29, 2024

Pateros Brewster Resource Center helps with rental assistance

Posted

PATEROS – The Eviction Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) was one of the main and immediate topics discussed at the Pateros Brewster Community Resource Center board of directors meeting on March 18.

“It’s the big one right now,” said PBCRC Executive Director Gene Dowers. “We’re subcontracting with Okanogan County Community Action Council to get more folks caught up on their rent.”

Time is limited to disburse the pool of funds available for ERAP recipients.

“There is quite a resource available but only until June 31,” said Dowers. “After June 31, it goes away.”

Dowers said he was able to widen the area where the Okanogan County funds could be applied. Chelan-Douglas counties had the same ERAP program but theirs ran out of money last January.

“I asked if we might be able to go across the river and cover Bridgeport, too,” said Dowers, “so we got authorization to include Bridgeport, include the whole quad cities,”

Dowers said there is an urgent need for rental assistance.

“That’s what I have been experiencing with the rental assistance through our grant funding,” said Dowers. “This is a great program for us because we can take rental assistance and run it through Community Action and save that grant money to help other people in other ways. It’s a real win-win for us.”

For more information about the local ERAP effort, email Dowers at gdowers@crcpb.org.

The PBCRC conference room and tech center are drawing more attention.

“We’re getting a fairly full schedule,” Dowers said. “Work Source is down with us at least once a week.”

 Dowers said there are some three dozen events are already booked for the conference room through the end of summer.

The tech center is helping the Pateros/Methow volunteer fire departments with their Easter Egg hunt on April 8.

“They are going to run some of their posters and banners through us and that’s the kind of thing we like to do,” Dowers said.


 

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here