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COVID-19 Letter to Public Housing Residents
April 6, 2020
Dear Public Housing Residents,
We hope this letter finds you and your loved ones safe and healthy. The past few weeks have, undoubtedly, been some of the most life-changing weeks we've seen in modern times. The looming threat of the COVID-19 coronavirus has taken this country, and our state, by storm. We are hoping and praying that the extreme social distancing will prove effective to slow the spread of this illness and that we'll all soon be back to normal.
As your property manager, we wanted to reach out and address a few important issues regarding the pandemic as well as your tenancy.
1. Social Distancing's Purpose:
Right now, no doubt you've heard about (and are engaged in) what we refer to as "social distancing." The purpose of this world-wide action is not simply to stop you from getting sick; the larger purpose is to slow down the spread of this virus so hospitals will not be overwhelmed with those who are most likely to be affected. Without social distancing, hospitals will quickly be overrun with far too many patients and not enough equipment to handle it. As such, we just encourage you to stay home and follow the guidelines set forth by the CDC, which you can read more about by going to http://cdc.gov/coronavirus.
NOT ALLOWED (Social Gatherings)
- Gatherings for any reason of more than 3 people in single spaces
- Gatherings for any reason of more than 3 people in single spaces where a minimum of six feet between all individuals cannot be maintained.
2. Maintenance and Repairs:
Due to the restrictions on work and the need to keep government-mandated social distancing, we are only responding to true emergency maintenance requests. Please don't hesitate to call us at 803.251.2747. And if any maintenance workers are sent to your home, please be sure to keep at least six feet away from them, to maintain the social distancing.
3. Rent Payments:
Columbia Housing is now waiving its operational policies and making it easier for families to get rent reductions if you have lost income related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the COVID-19 crisis, we are allowing residents to self-certify and waiving the verification requirement. Public Housing residents and Housing Choice Voucher participants may now more easily report loss of income through one of the following methods:
1. Complete a fillable form.
Housing Choice Voucher Program Participants
OR
2. Send an e-mail to covid19@columbiahousingsc.org
OR
3. Call 803-251-2747 and verbally report the loss of income.
Please allow up to five (5) business days for any income change requests to go into effect. Tenant rent changes resulting from a reduction in income will be effective on the first day of the month following the income change.
This is a rapidly changing time for everyone, tenants and landlords alike. We will continue to monitor the economic landscape in the coming weeks and months. Thank you for being a valued tenant and we look forward to getting through these tough times together. As always, don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Ivory N. Mathews
Interim Executive Director
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COVID 19 Letter to PH Residents - 04.06.2020
COVID 19 Letter to PH Residents - 03.17.2020
For more information on Columbia Housing's COVID-19 Response please visit our COVID-19 Response web page.
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