Housing Assistance Corporation has launched a new online application for year-round Island and Cape Cod clients who qualify for rental and mortgage assistance, according to an announcement from the Hyannis non-profit.

Available at www.haconcapecod.org, the application enables clients to complete one form to access multiple different public or private funding programs.

“With federal pandemic unemployment insurance ending this month and the eviction moratorium set to end in mid-October, many people who have never had to ask for help will do so soon,” Housing Assistance CEO Alisa Magnotta said in a statement. “We are advocating for funding for the entire Cape and Islands region.”

According to the announcement, public sources of funding include RAFT (Residential Assistance for Families in Transition) and ERMA (Emergency Rental and Mortgage Assistance), a new state fund created this year to directly benefit eligible households that have suffered financial hardship as a result of the State of Emergency put into place to combat the spread of Covid-19.

Housing Assistance also administers a private homeless prevention program providing one-time emergency financial assistance for individuals and families who don’t qualify for public funding but need support to stay in their homes. In April, the non-profit expanded the program to cover up to three months’ rent or mortgage payments for anyone financially impacted by the pandemic.

When compared to the same period last year, since the pandemic started in mid-March, Housing Assistance has witnessed a 325 per cent increase in foreclosure prevention requests and a 413 per cent increase in requests for help with past-due rent, according to the announcement.

Residents who need support with their rent or mortgage payments should contact Housing Assistance at 508-771-5400 or email hac@haconcapecod.org. They can also begin the process by reviewing eligibility criteria and filling out Housing Assistance’s new streamlined online application at www.haconcapecod.org.