Mississippi Code 1972 (2023) › Title 57 - PLANNING, RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (§§ 57-NEW-001 — 57-123-55) › Chapter 1 - MISSISSIPPI DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (§§ 57-NEW-001 — 57-1-783) › RENTAL ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM (§ 57-1-521) › Section 57-1-521 - Rental Assistance Grant Program established; definitions; purpose; program terms and conditions; Rental Assistance Grant Program Fund created; unobligated monies

(1)
As used in this section, the following terms shall have the meanings ascribed unless the context otherwise requires:
(a)
"COVID-19" means the Coronavirus Disease 2019.
(b)
"CARES Act" means the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.
(c)
"MDA" means the Mississippi Development Authority.
(d)
"Eligible rental business" means a for-profit or not-for-profit corporation, a limited liability company, a partnership or a sole proprietorship that (i) is the owner, lessor, or sublessor of a dwelling unit, commercial building or the building of which it is a part in the State of Mississippi, and (ii) filed Mississippi taxes for tax year 2018 or 2019, or, for an eligible business formed on or after January 1, 2020, intends to file Mississippi taxes for tax year 2020, unless exempt under Section
27-7-29
, Section
27-13-63
or other applicable provision of law.
(e)
"Lost rental income" means all payments that were due under a rental agreement to be made to an eligible rental business between March 1, 2020, and December 30, 2020, that were not paid due to the business disruption effects of the public health emergency and eviction moratoria.
(2)
(a)
The Legislature finds and declares that the public health emergency from COVID-19 has caused increased unemployment and wage insecurity in Mississippi, which has made it difficult for many renters to make their rent payments and puts some at risk of becoming homeless, which could mean greater risk of contracting and spreading the coronavirus for families. Further, the Legislature finds and declares that increasing nonpayment of rent is creating a crisis for independent rental businesses and a rising danger of foreclosures. The Legislature further finds and declares that the federal and state eviction moratoria that began in March 2020, and will extend through December 30, 2020, have put rental businesses at risk of losing income necessary to continue their business operations.
(b)
Eligible rental businesses that can demonstrate lost rental income from March 1, 2020, through December 30, 2020, may apply for a grant of up to Thirty Thousand Dollars ($30,000.00) to reimburse for lost rental income resulting from the public health emergency and eviction moratoria.
(3)
(a)
The MDA shall establish the Rental Assistance Grant Program for the purpose of making grants to eligible rental businesses pursuant to applications submitted under this subsection, to reimburse their lost rental income.
(b)
Any eligible rental business desiring to participate in the grant program authorized under this section shall make application for a grant to the MDA in a form satisfactory to the MDA. The application shall include verified documentation, signed under penalty of perjury. The MDA shall not consider applications filed after November 15, 2020. If the MDA determines that allowing applicants to file their applications until November 15, 2020, would not allow the MDA sufficient time to issue all final payments on or before December 14, 2020, the MDA shall set an application deadline before November 15, 2020, to allow the MDA sufficient time to issue all final payments not later than December 14, 2020.
(c)
The MDA shall not disburse any funds appropriated under this section to any recipient without first:
(a)
making an individualized determination that the reimbursement sought is, in the MDA's independent judgment, for necessary expenditures incurred due to the public health emergency with respect to COVID-19 as provided under Section 601(d) of the federal Social Security Act as added by Section 5001 of the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and its implementing guidelines, guidance, rules, regulations and/or other criteria, as may be amended or supplemented from time to time, by the United States Department of the Treasury; and
(b)
determining that the recipient has not received and will not receive reimbursement for the expense in question from any source of funds, including insurance proceeds, other than those funds provided under Section 601 of the federal Social Security Act as added by Section 5001 of the CARES Act. In addition, the MDA shall ensure that all funds appropriated under this section are disbursed in compliance with the Single Audit Act (
31 USC Sections 7501-7507
) and the related provisions of the Uniform Guidance,
2 CFR Section 200.303
regarding internal controls, Sections 200.330 through 200.332 regarding subrecipient monitoring and management, and subpart F regarding audit requirements.
The use of grants shall further be subject to audit by the Mississippi Office of the State Auditor. A rental business found to be fully or partially noncompliant with grant requirements shall return to the state all or a portion of the grant monies received. Applicants shall confirm their understanding of these terms.
(d)
The MDA shall develop procedures, guidelines and application forms to govern the administration of the grant program authorized under this section.
(4)
The grant program authorized under this section shall be subject to the following terms and conditions:
(a)
The maximum amount of a grant that may be provided to an eligible rental business is Thirty Thousand Dollars ($30,000.00). Eligible commercial businesses shall not receive more than twenty-five percent (25%) of the total funds appropriated under this program.
(b)
An eligible rental business that accepts a grant under this section shall consider any rental payments due under a rental agreement at the property for which the grant is made as having been paid in full through December 30, 2020. An eligible rental business that accepts a grant under this section may not evict a tenant from the dwelling unit for nonpayment of rent that accrued between March 1, 2020, and December 30, 2020. Acceptance of grant funds does not prohibit an eligible rental business from beginning eviction proceedings for lawful purposes other than nonpayment of rent that accrued between March 1, 2020, and December 30, 2020, when allowed by law or regulation.
(c)
Grants awarded under this section shall be protected from creditors.
(5)
There is created a special fund in the State Treasury, to be known as the "Rental Assistance Grant Program Fund," from which the grants authorized by this section shall be disbursed by the MDA. All monies shall be disbursed from the fund in compliance with the guidelines, guidance, rules, regulations and/or other criteria, as may be amended from time to time, of the United States Department of the Treasury regarding the use of monies from the Coronavirus Relief Fund established by the CARES Act. If on December 15, 2020, there are unobligated monies in the fund, the MDA shall transfer such monies to the Unemployment Compensation Fund.
Amended by Laws, 2020, ch. 503, HB 1810,§ 3, eff. 10/9/2020.