Hunter
05/07/20
The University of Iowa Undergraduate Student Government and Graduate and Professional Student Government have asked the Iowa City City Council to forgive utility payments for unemployed students, as well as city residents who no longer have a job.
The Daily Iowan reports that the letter was written jointly by the student governments and was sent April 29th.
The letter points out the struggle students are experiencing due to closures brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. Because they’re over sixteen and claim dependency, they don’t qualify to receive state and federal aid through the CARES Act.
Student government liason Ryan Longenecker said that although the City Council doesn’t have the authority to force landlords to forgive rent, they can forgive utility payments.
The Johnson County Affordable Housing Coalition previously called for forgiveness of water, sewage, and trash pickup costs for households with at least one unemployed adult.
Longenecker tells the DI that the council is open to the suggestion, but still need to figure out what their finances are going to look like, given an expected combined loss of over $14 million in property, hotel/motel, and road use taxes, among other sources of revenue, in fiscal 2020 and 2021.
UI students have an opportunity to get relief grants through the CARES Act. An $8.3 million pool is available. The university also has Student Emergency Fund grants from $50 to $350 available.
