Ohioans can apply for $100 million in rent assistance

The Ohio Development Services Agency is now distributing $100 million in federal funding to help low-income Ohioans who do not own their own home pay their rent, water, sewer, wastewater, electric, gas, oil and/or trash removal bills.

Ohioans can apply for assistance with outstanding balances dating back to March 13, assistance for future rent/utility payments once back bills have been made current, and assistance for future rent and utility assistance for three months at a time.

Eligible Ohio households must:

• Be at or below 80% of their county’s Area Median Income (varies by county and size of household);
• Have experienced a financial hardship due to Covid-19; and
• Demonstrate a risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability.
• Ohioans can apply for assistance by contacting their local Community Action Agency. A list of agencies can be found at businesshelp.ohio.gov under Home Relief Grants.

Nursing homes receive maintenance plan for Covid-19

Ohio’s maintenance Covid-19 vaccine program plan to ensure residents and staff within nursing homes and assisted living facilities have continuing access to the life-saving vaccine is nearly complete. The plan will outline how nursing homes and assisted living facilities will move forward to vaccinate new residents, new workers, and workers who initially declined the vaccine but are now willing to be vaccinated.

The plan will leverage existing relationships between nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and the pharmacies that regularly provide them with prescription drugs.

Since the pandemic began, individuals in long-term care settings, such as nursing homes and assisted living facilities, have been at the greatest risk of death from COVID-19. Over 50 percent of Ohio’s deaths have been individuals from long-term care settings.

Covid-19 vaccine soon available at Rite Aid, Kroger

Ohio received a total of 214,525 first doses of vaccine last week, and 223,025 first doses were scheduled to arrive in Ohio during this week.

The federal retail pharmacy program will soon begin allotting doses to Ohio’s more than 160 Rite Aid pharmacies. Vaccine distribution will also expand into all 194 Kroger pharmacies.

Those with specific medical conditions that put them at a very high risk of dying from Covid-19 will be eligible for vaccinations this week.

Nursing home cases in sharp decline

The number of Covid-19 cases in Ohio’s nursing homes has dropped more than 77 percent since late November. This dramatic drop in cases follows Ohio’s aggressive efforts to vaccinate residents and staff in Ohio’s long-term care facilities.

There were 2,697 Covid-19 cases in long-term care facilities in Ohio during the week of Nov. 29. During the week of January 17, there were 612 positive cases.