New grant program offers rental assistance to Lewisville seniors

Senior citizens in Lewisville can soon receive rental assistance through a new grant program.

The details

• Lewisville City Council approved a resolution authorizing an agreement to launch a rental assistance program during the June 5 meeting.
• The Lewisville Senior Rental Assistance Grant Program will be specifically for low- to moderate-income seniors who have received an increase in their apartment rent for the months remaining on that lease, according to the agenda item.
• United Way of Denton County and Christian Community Action will work with the city to support the program.
• Applications will open June 8.

Also of note

• Those needing help with their online application can receive assistance from a United Way staff member at the Lewisville Public Library starting June 13. United Way is scheduled to be at the library Tuesdays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and Wednesdays from noon-4 p.m.
• City staff plans to partner with the Denton County Transportation Authority to provide GoZone day passes to provide to any senior in need of transportation to the library, according to the agenda item.
• Funding for the program is available through city funds in the amount of $123,400. CCA and United Way will both access funding set aside for the program until all funds have been exhausted.

The backstory

• Affordable housing is one of council’s top priorities. Council has taken steps to specifically address the need for affordable senior housing.
• In November, council provided direction to pursue creating a senior rental assistance program utilizing available general fund dollars, according to the agenda item.
• Lewisville’s Neighborhood Services Manager Ashleigh Feryan said she has seen more requests for assistance in the past year due to rising inflation.
• City staff has been meeting regularly with a local senior advocacy group that is raising awareness for increasing rent prices for seniors on fixed incomes, officials said.

By the numbers

• More than half of Lewisville residents are renters, and about 40% of households in Lewisville that rented in 2018 were either cost burdened or severely cost burdened. To compound the issue, rent increased by 18% between 2020-21, according to city data.
• According to a July 2022 report by United Way of Denton County, 9.7% of Lewisville’s senior population lives below the poverty line.