SC Stay Plus has provided approximately 90,000 South Carolinians with rental assistance: program set to wind down in mid-December

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SC Stay Plus is South Carolina’s federally-funded emergency rental program. The intent of this temporary initiative was to provide short-term relief to eligible renters in 39 S.C. counties experiencing financial hardships due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

SC Stay Plus has provided approximately 90,000 South Carolinians with more than $267 million in rental and utility assistance. Due to the program’s success, SC Stay Plus will begin to wind down in South Carolina, as it is doing in many other states, and must stop accepting new applications at 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 16.

SC Stay Plus will continue to review all current applications to determine if they qualify for assistance, for as long as funds are available. Applications submitted by the Dec. 16 deadline will also be reviewed to determine if they qualify for assistance, for as long as funds are available.

Those who live in the 39 counties served by SC Stay Plus and who need rental assistance after the Dec. 16 deadline may sign up for a waitlist at the SC Stay Plus website starting Dec. 17. When the waitlist link goes live, interested parties may complete an Expression of Interest Form, which adds them to the waitlist.

Should funds remain, or should funds become available, after all prior applications are reviewed, SC Stay Plus will notify waitlisted parties on a first-come, first-served basis, inviting them to complete an application. Please note that joining the waitlist does not guarantee an opportunity to apply or be provided with financial assistance. SC Stay Plus is creating this waitlist in the event additional funds remain after all applications submitted by Dec. 16 are reviewed, or if additional federal funds become available.

SC Housing understands that there is still a need for rental assistance in South Carolina, even as this temporary program winds down. The group plans to provide every eligible renter with any available assistance for as long as funds remain. For updated program information, visit the website at SC Housing.com.

SC Housing is a self-sustaining housing finance agency committed to ensuring that South Carolinians have the opportunity to live in safe, decent, and affordable housing. Agency operations are supported by a funding base that includes fees and other revenue earned through the administration of agency programs.