Small house made of blocks sits on top of a pile of cash register receipts.

Households who are struggling to pay rent, mortgage or utility payments or need help paying for groceries, medicine and other household expenses caused by hardships related to COVID-19 are encouraged to apply for assistance from the City of Homer's Household Economic Relief Grant, or HERG. 

Utilizing Federal CARES Act grant funds, Homer City Council authorized $1.5 million for the HERG program.  It is intended to provide economic stability to households within the City of Homer that have suffered economic hardship between March 1- December 30, 2020, either from a loss of income or increased expenses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Funding of up to $1,500 in grants is available per household. 

Deadline to apply:  Friday, October 16, 2020!

To qualify for HERG funding, applicants must meet the eligibility criteria*:

Who Qualifies?

HOUSEHOLD ECONOMIC RELIEF GRANT

At least one adult member (18 or older) of the household must be a City of Homer resident, permanently living within the city limits prior to March 1, 2020. They will be considered the “Head of Household” by the City and will complete the application on the household’s behalf. Applicants must provide valid photo I.D., two current pieces of mail to prove residency, and a completed W-9 form from the Internal Revenue Service.

The Head of Household must be a U.S. Citizen or permanent legal resident in order to receive grant funding.

Only one grant is available per household. All members of the household over the age of 18 must be listed in the application. A household may consist of a single individual.

The Head of Household on behalf of the household, must agree the household was/is negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and disclose, certify and document how the household has experienced, or continues to experience, economic hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, with hardship incurred between March 1, 2020 and December 30, 2020. If it is determined the HERG funds were used for an ineligible purpose or that a household received more than one HERG grant, the applicant may be required to return those funds back to the City.

HERG funds cannot be used to reimburse an expense that was already covered by or anticipated to be covered by another COVID-19 assistance/relief grant.

* The City reserves the right to interpret the terms of this program.

How to Apply

Apply ONLINE:

https://www.cityofhomer-ak.online/HERG-Program-Policy

or DOWNLOAD and PRINT applications at the bottom of the page and return to the City of Homer's Finance Department's dropbox by City Hall entrance on Pioneer Avenue. Please secure your application within a sealed envelope addressed to Sara Perman.

Completed applications may also be mailed to: 

City of Homer
ATTN: HERG - Sara Perman
491 East Pioneer Avenue
Homer, AK 99603

Mailed applications must be postmarked by 5:00 pm, Friday, October 16th, 2020.

Applications must be submitted with a copy of a valid photo ID, two forms of residence verification, and a completed W-9 form from the Internal Revenue Service.

  • Valid forms of photo ID include an up-to-date drivers license, state ID, U.S. Passport, certified copy of U.S. Birth Certificate, or I-551 Resident Alien/ Permanent Resident Card.
  • Valid forms of residence verification include mortgage statements, Kenai Peninsula Borough Property Tax statement, home utility bills, signed lease agreements, employment documents, two first class mail parcels with postmark, or signed letter on official letterhead verifying residency from housing authority/shelter.