REGION — The COVID-19 pandemic has had an effect on everyone, reaching people around the world and in our own communities. From losing loved ones, to losing a job, it hasn't been easy.

The financial impacts of the pandemic can show up in different ways, and no one knows that more than the organizations that are ready and able to help those in need.

“Sullivan County Department of Family Services (DFS) provides assistance every day to people experiencing personal challenges that are somehow connected to the pandemic,” Commissioner of Family Services John Liddle said.

He and his department have been working with non-profit partners around the county to provide services to clients who are experiencing hardships.

One of those partners is Action Toward Independence (ATI), an organization that serves people with disabilities and is based in Monticello.

“Since COVID started we have remained open and [have] been working with our community to mitigate some of the consequences from the pandemic,” ATI Executive Director Deborah Worden said. “We don't know a single person that isn't impacted in regards to their mental health, so really we're about helping everybody.”

Working with DFS as well as Legal Services of the Hudson Valley, Fearless and Community Action, they received funding from the CARES Act to help those who are dealing with housing crises.

ATI is providing comprehensive case management for individuals who need rent assistance or are facing homelessness.

The New York State Legislature passed an act at the end of December to extend the eviction moratorium until May 1, 2021. The moratorium prevents landlords from evicting tenants who have “endured COVID-related hardship.”

But what happens once May 1 comes around?

“Hopefully we're going to have all of these programs in place at that time, so as soon as that occurs we're going to be ready and running and able to help,” Worden says.

The eviction moratorium has had some unintended consequences. Liddle says homelessness in the county is well below what they normally see at this time of year.

However, they are seeing higher demand for some related services. For example, requests for financial assistance with the maintenance of home heating systems has doubled compared to last year.

“We are also concerned that the depression and anxiety some people experience is being made much worse by the pandemic and is resulting in an escalation of substance use disorders,” said Liddle.

Vanessa Sotelo, Assistant Executive Director of ATI, says people come to them for a number of reasons, whether it be extreme financial difficulty because of the pandemic or not knowing how to navigate services available.

“And that's where the case management comes into play,” Sotelo said. “We're trying to help them maneuver through those issues and come up with more creative ways to try and resolve these underlying issues that are causing the problem of homelessness.”

For instance, they can direct them to apply for the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) that helps eligible households meet the cost of heating their homes, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

There are also state programs to help both people at risk of losing their housing and landlords. They include the New York State Office of Homes and Community Renewal COVID Rent Relief Extension Program, which provides a one-time rental subsidy, and the New York Forward Loan Fund, which can help landlords with a loan of up to $100,000.

“These programs are primarily directed toward low-income families and tenants rather than homeowners,” Liddle explained. “Regulatory guidance is really just starting to filter down to us at the local level when it comes to the bigger funding sources that are in the federal stimulus packages, and some funding may not be accessible until the moratorium is lifted.”

ATI says they are hearing from people who have never been in this kind of situation before, and they want to get rid of the stigma of getting help.

They said they worked with a mother who has two adult children with disabilities. The children would normally go to a daily residential facility, but it has been closed due to COVID. Now the mother has to buy adult briefs for them, which are costly, and that's cutting into her budget for rent.

“It's little things like that, that we've never had to deal with during this time,” Worden said.

If anyone in Sullivan County is worried about losing their housing, they can call the Department of Family Services in Liberty at 845-292-0100 or Action Toward Independence of Monticello at 845-794-4228. Housing coordinators are on duty Monday through Friday to assist.