KIRKLAND
Rental Risk Assistance Fund Program

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Overview

Required Documents

Eligibility Requirements

Tutorial Videos

Program Overview

The Kirkland Rental Risk Assistance Fund (Program) allocates funding to assist households and individuals seeking new residential leases in the City of Kirkland. The program is intended to help those facing barriers to obtain stable housing.

  • PROGRAM OVERVIEW
  • The program is open to applications by landlords with eligible tenants.
  • Grant payments are made to the landlord to offset the risk of tenant default.
  • Applications will be accepted starting on February 15, 2023.
  • The City of Kirkland has partnered with the administrator FORWARD to administer the program.
  • The Program will operate as long as funds remain available, or until the City announces an end date.
  • The City of Kirkland reserves the right to alter the eligibility, criteria and details of the Program at the City’s sole discretion.

     

  • NEED SUPPORT? 
    If you need help with this online application, please email us at Kirkland-support@livestories.zendesk.com or call us at 1-855-582-3973. 

    If you need a reasonable accommodation to complete the application due to a disability, please reach out to 1-425-587-3266. 

  • Property owner UBI#
  • Landlord W9
  • Landlord Government issued photo identification (Driver’s license preferred)
  • Property information: Lease start date; lease duration; property address
  • Tenant information:
    • Proof of tenant income at 120% AMI or below
    • ONE of the below:
      • Proof of tenant credit score of 650 or below, OR
      • Proof of tenant bankruptcy filing (Ch. 7, 11, 13), OR
      • Proof of tenant previous eviction within the past 7 years, OR
      • Proof of tenant prior criminal conviction
  • Cancelled company check or other verification of business account in which to receive grant fund

  • A tenant may be eligible for the program if they meet ONE of the following criteria:

    • Tenant credit score of 650 or below
    • Tenant bankruptcy filing (Ch. 7, 11, 13 or other to be reviewed case by case)
    • Tenant previous eviction within the past 7 years
    • Tenant prior criminal conviction

    Additionally, the Tenant must meet ALL of the following criteria:

    • Seeking a new residential lease in Kirkland starting on or after February 15, 2023.
    • Residential lease sought is at least 6 months in duration
    • Tenant has an annual household income at/below 120% of the Area Median Income (AMI)
    • Tenant agrees to release documentation of eligibility to Program administrators

  • A landlord may be eligible to receive a grant from the program if they meet the following requirements:

    • Landlord has a valid Kirkland business license
    • Landlord can provide required documentation of tenant eligibility

FORWARD is the administrative partner working with the City of Kirkland to administer the program. Documents submitted will be accessible for purposes of program administration to FORWARD, and to City of Kirkland staff.

  1. Landlord applies via the Program CoK/FORWARD portal
  2. Tenant signs an auto-forwarded release of eligibility documentation
  3. Landlord submits required documentation (see Checklist: Required Documentation above)
  4. Program administrators notify landlord in approx. 24-48 hours of application acceptance
  5. Landlord receives payment in approx. 2 weeks.

No, these funds do not need to be repaid. However, all taxes associated with the acceptance and/or uses of cash awarded are the sole responsibility of the individual awardee. Please contact your financial advisor or the Department of Revenue for questions related to your own situation.

FORWARD technical support will be provided by phone and/or email to any applicants with questions related to the FORWARD platform. For technical support, call (855) 582-3973 between 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Monday-Friday. The Rental Risk Assistance Fund is administered by FORWARD.

FORWARD Online Application Tutorials

FORWARD Online Application Tutorials

4 Videos

FORWARD is administering the Kirkland Rental Risk Assistance Fund on behalf of the City of Kirkland. 

ABOUT FORWARD
FORWARD is the leading Integrated Program Administration solution that incorporates all essential components, people and technology into a single streamlined workflow to effectively, securely, and equitably administer critical resources to help communities thrive.