COLUMBIA— SC Thrive is pleased to announce, in cooperation with the South Carolina State Housing Finance and Development Authority (SC Housing), the launch of the COVID-19 Rental Assistance Program.
The program, created in response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, is designed to provide emergency rental assistance to South Carolinians facing financial hardships because of the crisis and to help lessen the outbreak’s economic impacts on state residents.
Through the COVID-19 Rental Assistance Program, SC Thrive will provide emergency housing assistance to renters affected by shutdowns, closures, layoffs, reduced work hours, or unpaid leave due to the COVID-19 health crisis.

Eligible households will receive assistance of up to $1,500 for rent in a one-time, lump-sum payment made directly to property owners or management companies.
“Over the months of social distancing measures required to prevent the further spread of this deadly disease, the COVID-19 crisis has turned lives upside down in our communities. Many businesses have been shut down temporarily, schools have been forced to close, and South Carolinians all over the state have lost their jobs,” said SC Thrive CEO Tricia Richardson. “As we navigate this crisis, SC Thrive is committed to helping the residents of South Carolina access the resources they need to survive. With the COVID-19 Rental Assistance Program, we’re hoping to prevent further impacts of the crisis by helping residents avoid eviction and stay safe in their homes.”
Applicants must meet a number of requirements to qualify for the program, including:
• Applicants must be South Carolina residents.
• Applicants’ household income at the time of application must be at or below 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI) for the county in which they reside. Income eligibility by county can be found at: https://bit.ly/2LPONAh.
•Applicants’ employment/ income must have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, beginning March 10, 2020, or later.
• Applicants must be PAST DUE a minimum of one month on rent.
• The rent assistance payment must bring the rental balance current.
• The applicant CANNOT currently receive any subsidized rental assistance.
• The applicant CANNOT be approved for or a recipient of the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation ($600 additional weekly benefit).
Those interested in learning more about or applying for rental assistance through the COVID-19 Rental Assistance Program can do so here: https://scthrive.org/covid-19-rental-assistance-program/.
In addition to the COVID-19 Rental Assistance Program, SC Thrive stands firm in helping South Carolinians in need access available resources in innovative ways. Primary areas of focus at SC Thrive include food security, healthcare resources and financial wellness. The organization also provides a variety of training and technology to other direct-service organizations so that they can more effectively help those in need access the resources available to them.

About SC Thrive
SC Thrive is a nonprofit offering solutions to South Carolinians in need of resources but facing a multitude of barriers to accessing them. With several online services, training programs and more than 400 strategic partnerships, SC Thrive meets people where they are and helps simplify complex processes — giving South Carolina residents more efficient access to the quality-of-life resources needed so they can move toward stability.