St. Paul and Ramsey County are calling on residents in need to apply for a new rental assistance program.

"Help is available for struggling renters," St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter tweeted this week.

Residents who have fallen behind on rent because of COVID-19 financial hardships can apply for the St. Paul-Ramsey County Rent Assistance Program.

The city and county have teamed up to help eligible renters, which include households that earned 80% or less of area median income in 2020 or in the most recent month.

This program comes as Minnesota's statewide rental assistance program comes to a gradual end. By Oct. 12, all lease termination and eviction protections will be lifted, aside from those of eligible renters whose rental assistance applications are pending.

Field Navigator Partners are available to answer questions about the rental assistance program.

Those organizations include Comunidades Latinas Unidas En Servicio, Hmong American Partnership, Latino Economic Development Center and McLemore Holdings.

The Community Action Partnership of Ramsey and Washington counties will process all applications and may reach out to renters to request more information. For help, call 651-999-5737 or e-mail renthelp@caprw.org.

Visit submit.caprw.org/forms/cera to apply for rental assistance.

Zoë Jackson is a reporter covering St. Paul and its neighborhoods for the Star Tribune. 612-673-7112 • @zoemjack