COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Another round of Emergency Rental Assistance Funding is on its way to renters in Columbus and Franklin County.

According to the City of Columbus, an additional $20 million in federal aid is set to be distributed to those who are at risk of losing their housing as a result of financial issues connected to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The new funding is in addition to more than $40 million that has been paid to Franklin County residents in rent and utility assistance.

“In Ohio, employment is back to 97.7% of where it was in February 2020, but for some in our city, the economic effects of the pandemic are just as present today as they were two years ago,” Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther said in a press release. “Many of our neighbors still wonder if they can make this month’s rent, or are choosing between food and utilities. This additional funding is our way of calming those worries. Through partnerships with our local nonprofits, we have put an extraordinary amount of funding in the hands of our residents.”

The city’s $10 million will be given to IMPACT Community Action, which specializes in rent and utility assistance. IMPACT recently reopened assistance applications after closing them in July due to the existing funding being spent.

According to the city’s press release, the new funding will help IMPACT offer on-site assistance to tenants in rental court. In addition, the funds can be used to help cover a year of rent and utility assistance and can be used to pay past-due rent, pay late fees, moving expenses, security deposits, and home interest costs.

The money is the result of the state releasing surplus Emergency Rental Assistance funds to seven cities and counties across Ohio, with Columbus and Franklin County each being rewarded $10 million.

For more on the rental assistance program, click here.