Applicants have until Dec. 31 to complete renter refund application

SALT LAKE CITY — Utahns over the age of 66 have until Dec. 31 to apply for some extra money from the state.

The state's Renter Refund program had a record-breaking number of applications in 2023 but has a ways to go to meet those numbers this year. Senior advocates and champions for affordable housing in Utah have used this month — Circuit Breaker/Renter Refund Awareness Month — to spread word among seniors that dollars are available for them to use, if they apply.

"It's a great program that gives vital assistance to people in need, offering them help with their property taxes or as an assistance to qualified renters," said Jerry Schmidt, a senior advocate in Utah. "But in a 2022 report to the Legislature, the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute estimated that only 1 in 5 seniors who qualify for the program actually participate. It is extremely easy to apply for the rental refund program ... and there is plenty of time to apply."

The renter refund program provides seniors older than 66 years of age who rent, have lived in Utah during the entirety of the previous calendar year and have earned less than $41,000 per year with a maximum $1,259 to use as they see fit. It is intended to provide low-income seniors with financial help as they continue to survive economically as housing prices rise.

Thursday at the state Capitol, supporters of the refund program addressed the need for seniors across the state to become aware of the program. There currently is an "urban/rural divide" in applicants, according to program supporters, with 15 Utah counties accounting for a total of 10 applicants — prompting advocates to increase awareness about the program.

Most of their clients across the state, now and in the future, could benefit.

"This renter refund program can be a lifeline for senior widowers ... and we're currently witnessing growth in our senior population," said Steve Erickson, a longtime housing advocate from the National Association of Housing Redevelopment Officials in Utah. "There was a 53% increase in those over 65 in the state of Utah between the years 2010-2020. This program is a direct and targeted means of getting help to those who desperately need it."

Thursday's speakers spoke of the ease of finishing the renter refund application, estimating the time spent to complete it at 20-30 minutes.

They also called on family members to bring their laptops whenever they will see their older family members this holiday season. They can sit down with them and complete the application. A family member who is a little more computer savvy than they are can help everyone feel comfortable about the process.

Sitting down with older relatives may also open family members' eyes to how difficult a time Grandma or Grandpa or their great-aunt or great-uncle are having financially. The renter refund program will not solve all the problems with housing costs, but it can make a small dent.

"The governor and the Legislature have put a significant amount of energy into the issue of affordable housing, but we don't talk a lot about what we see as affordable housing," said state Rep. Joel Briscoe, D-Salt Lake City. "I think everyone ... won't have to look very far beyond your family, your friends and your neighborhood to find someone who's challenged with housing."

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