Gov. Beshear provided an update on his administration’s effort to keep people from being evicted during the pandemic and help qualified landlords who are experiencing loss of income.

“On Aug. 24, I issued an executive order to provide protections and clarity on the issue of evictions during the coronavirus crisis,” the Governor said. “At that same time, I directed $15 million in federal CARES Act dollars to support the Healthy at Home Eviction Relief Fund, which began accepting applications on Sept. 8.”

Then, in early September, Gov. Beshear updated the state’s executive order on evictions to reflect the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s moratorium on residential evictions through Dec. 31.

Under the CDC order, a tenant who signs and submits a declaration to his or her landlord about the inability to timely pay rent cannot be evicted. Like the Governor’s prior executive orders on evictions, the CDC order does not relieve anyone of the obligation to pay rent or comply with any other obligation under a tenancy, lease or similar contract. The CDC order allows landlords to charge and collect fees, penalties and interest for failure to timely pay rent, but prohibits evictions for nonpayment or late payment of such fees, penalties or interest.

Under the Governor’s executive order, the CDC order applies in Kentucky through the end of the year and helps keep Kentuckians Healthy at Home.

An estimated $8 million of the eviction relief program’s funds have been committed to provide rent relief for individuals and landlords. The fund does not apply in Jefferson County, which has its own federally funded eviction relief initiative.

Gov. Beshear urged tenants and landlords to continue signing up to take advantage of the program.

“The funds not only include payment for past due rent, but also reflect the estimated payments to assist with one to two months of future rent to keep families stable during the pandemic,” the Governor said. “Payments to landlords began going out last week, and that volume will continue to increase.”

For more information or to apply for the Healthy at Home Eviction Relief Fund, click here.

“I’m excited in a short period of time, we are helping out a large number of individuals,” said Gov. Beshear.