City Taking Applications for Landlord Risk Mitigation Fund Support

The City of Tallahassee will begin taking applications for those seeking support from the Landlord Risk Mitigation Fund, as announced on Jan. 28. The fund, which was approved by the City Commission last month, has a total of $250,000 available to assist landlords interested in or currently housing tenants who have been financially insecure.

In order to be eligible for the program, landlords must be private Tallahassee residents with no more than five rental properties in the area. Landlords may apply if their tenants have experienced instability due to the COVID-19 pandemic, are homeless or are at risk of being evicted. Those with vacant properties can also apply to the fund and be paired with a tenant in need of housing.

On the housing insecurity crisis, Tallahassee Mayor John Dailey commented, “Housing insecurity is a nationwide issue that has been amplified due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As we work together to address the problem locally, the Landlord Risk Mitigation Fund is one way that we are helping to keep more of our community members in their homes.”

Incentives for participating include a $500 one-time bonus upon leasing a unit to a homeless individual, $1000 in excess of the security deposit for unforeseen expenses and up to $2000 in excess of the security deposit to cover unpaid rent from a tenant who is unable to pay.

Resources for landlords participating in the Landlord Risk Mitigation Fund are funded through community partnerships with United Partners for Human Services, Big Bend Continuum of Care, Legal Said Foundation, Legal Services of North Florida and others. Further information on the City’s housing programs can be found on Talgov.com/Landlords.