ABOUT THE COLLIER COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (CCAP)

What is the Collier Community Assistance Program (CCAP)?

CCAP is a financial assistance program available to Collier County residents and small business owners affected by COVID-19. Applications are now being accepted through the fall or until funds are depleted. The program benefits households (individuals and families), households with senior members (60 years or older), landlords, small businesses, and temporary quarantine situations. More information is below and on our FAQs page. Don’t wait! Apply today!

Household Assistance

Full-time Collier County residents behind on mortgage, rent or utility payments due to the economic challenges presented by COVID-19 may qualify for assistance. Past due payments must have accumulated as the result of COVID-19 and must be documented. Please see the frequently asked questions (FAQ) page for details about eligibility and documentation requirements.

Applicants must include on their application all household members including persons 18 years of age or older living in the household and provide their income documentation. Those additional individuals must also meet all the eligibility requirements posed during the application process. Applications and eligibility are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. If you are determined eligible, program staff will follow up with you.

Aid is available for past due bills going back (arrearage) to March 13, 2020. Applicants must have been current on their rent, mortgage and utility accounts as of March 13, 2020. Arrearage is available up to a one time maximum of $10,000 payment for rent, mortgage and utility relief. However, applicants will also be screened for benefits through the Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) program, which does not have a cap on funds and only assists with rent payments through fall 2021. Doing this will allow the county to help more residents. If applicants do not qualify for aid through the CCAP, they may qualify through the ERA and vice versa.

Landlord Assistance with Tenant Applications

A landlord can apply on behalf of a tenant. However, the income and citizenship status will need to be provided for the tenant. You can apply to get reimbursed for each eligible renter’s unpaid rent between April 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021 or most recent unpaid month.

Some requirements include:

1. All payments must be used to satisfy the renter’s unpaid rent for the period between April 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021 or most recent unpaid month.
2. Your renters must take steps to verify that they meet eligibility requirements and sign the application. Tenant eligibility qualification depends on their circumstances and will need to meet eligibility outlined above.
3. Your renter’s household income must be at or below 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI).

Before applying, you will need:

• Property Deed(s)
• Mortgage Note(s)
• Property Tax Statement
• Copy of Property Insurance Statement
• Lease or rental agreement reflecting renter’s name, residence address, and monthly rent due

Please see the frequently asked questions (FAQ) page for details about additional eligibility and documentation requirements.

However, if the property is homesteaded and you are renting it out, the file will be denied.

Small Business Assistance

Small businesses, nonprofits and agricultural operations may qualify for assistance with past due water and electric bills and repayment of the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL). Your business(es) must be in Collier County, have a business tax license, hold a Sunbiz registration, and employ 100 or less full-time equivalent (FTE) staff. Applicants should select small business during the application process.

Business owners that own more than one business, with each business having its own employer identification number (EIN), and meets all other eligibility requirements, may apply for assistance for each business. An application must be submitted for each business. For past due water and electric bill assistance, the utility accounts must be in the name of each business. Each qualified application may receive a one-time grant of up to $25,000 toward EIDL repayment and utility assistance. Since this is a grant and not a loan, it does not need to be paid back.

Food Banks and Pantries

Food banks and pantries may also apply for financial assistance by reaching out to the Community Foundation of Collier County.

1.
Before you apply, gather your appropriate documents. Please see the FAQs page for the required documentation. While it is possible to submit your application without uploading these documents, it may cause a delay in processing.

2.
You can apply online or at any Collier County library. At the library, you can use the computer, scanner, and printer/copier equipment that is assigned for public use at no charge to submit an online application.

3.
You must create a username and password to get into the application. To do that, you will need an email account. Don’t have an email account? Sign up for free at Google or Yahoo.

4.
Write your username and password down somewhere only you can see it. You will need it if you want to come back to the application to add documents, change your contact information or check the status of your application. We cannot reset your account or provide your username or password to you

5.
After you submit your application, it will move through seven steps or statuses:

• Processors: This is your main point of contact. They are reviewing your application for eligibility and all documents. Processors will email you if there are any questions.
• Reviewer: County staff validating all documents are in the file and the file is complete to move forward.
• Fiscal: The county’s fiscal staff are validating your file.
• Management Review: Your file is under its final review with county staff.
• Approved County: County staff have completed their review and your file has moved to the final stage of the review process.
• Pending Clerk Payment: Your file is under review for payment with the Clerk of Courts.
• Clerk Payment: The Clerk of Courts has issued payment to your mortgage company, landlord or utility company.

6.
We will contact you about what happens next. The person who contacts you could be from HELP or Collier County Government. We are all working together so please answer their phone call or respond to their email. Also, our Collier County Assistance Center staff is available to help after you have submitted an online application. The Assistance Center is located at 13245 Tamiami Trail East, Suite 102, in Naples. To schedule an in-person appointment, please call (239) 450-2114 or email CCAPinfo@colliercountyfl.gov. Before you are provided an appointment, you must have submitted an online application.

Suggested browser for best application experience is Google Chrome.