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DYS hopes to extend rental assistance for another year
The grant that allowed the Division of Youth Services to provide rental assistance to families who have been displaced by Typhoon Mangkhut or Super Typhoon Yutu is set to end on Sept. 30, 2021, but the division hopes that the program will be extended for another year.
During a guest appearance on KKMP radio last Tuesday, DYS director Vivian Sablan said that 13 families are currently availing of the Home Rental Assistance Program, which is set to end this year on Sept. 30. She said that DYS’ plans for HRAP for the 2022 fiscal year has already been reviewed and accepted by the program’s main grantor. Next up for DYS would be to receive a grant award letter from the grantor and receiving the grants, which will provide DYS with the resources to extend HRAP for another year.
HRAP is a program that allows families who were directly displaced by Mangkhut or Yutu to avail of rental assistance through DYS.
Jennifer Tanaka, supervisor for DYS’ Family and Youth Enhancement Program, who joined Sablan at the radio guesting, explained that HRAP is available to all families in the CNMI who have been directly displaced by Mangkhut or Yutu, and that applications can be found online at dys.gov.mp, picked up at the Kagman Community Center, or at any of DYS’ offices on Saipan, Tinian, or Rota.
When asked last Tuesday if DYS is still taking applications for HRAP, Sablan said that families are welcome to apply and be put on a waitlist. As HRAP’s current grant ends on Sept. 30, Sablan said these applications will be on the waitlist until DYS receives a grant award letter. Once grants are secured for HRAP, DYS will assess if the program can take in additional families, and will publicly announce the extension of HRAP for one more year when the time comes.
According to the DYS website, HRAP is made possible through what is called the Community Services Block Grant-Disaster Supplemental funds. Through these funds, HRAP is currently able to provide seven months of rental assistance to 17 qualifying families.
