Johnson County to host Direct Assistance Program application clinic Thursday

JOHNSON COUNTY — Johnson County will host a Direct Assistance Program application clinic from noon to 6 p.m. on Thursday. The clinic will take place in Room 203 B/C in the Johnson County Health and Human Services Building, 855 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City.

Johnson County’s Direct Assistance Program provides one-time, financial assistance to eligible residents who have suffered hardship due to COVID-19. Eligible residents who are low- to moderate-income with documented hardship due to COVID-19 are invited to apply for a $1,400 emergency relief payment.

Appointments are encouraged and can be made by visiting https://calendly.com/direct-assistance-program/direct-assistance-program-application-clinic. Individuals who need assistance signing up for an appointment, or who need specific accommodations, including language interpretation, can call the Direct Assistance Program clinic hotline at (319) 688-5988. The hotline, which is available in English and Spanish, will be open from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday and all day this Thursday.

Applications will be accepted through May 23. Applying for the program does not guarantee that an individual will receive assistance.

More information is available on the Direct Assistance Program website in English at https://www.johnsoncountyiowa.gov/direct-assistance-program or in Spanish at https://johnsoncountyiowa.gov/programa-de-asistencia-directa. On the website, applicants can find the application and the list of accepted documentation in English, Spanish, French, Swahili and Arabic, as well as information about application assistance. In the Frequently Asked Questions section, applicants can click on "How can I get help completing an application?" to learn more about opportunities for assistance from Johnson County as well as several community organizations who are available to assist with the application process.

Only Johnson County residents are eligible for the Direct Assistance Program. Based on Iowa Code, someone who lives in Johnson County for the purpose of receiving services; residing in a hospital, correctional facility, halfway house, nursing facility, intermediate care facility; or for the purpose of attending a college or university is not considered a Johnson County resident.

More information about ARPA and how it impacts Johnson County is available at https://www.johnsoncountyiowa.gov/arpa.