VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Officials in Virginia Beach say relief is on the way to residents impacted financially by the COVID-19 pandemic, including $4 million for Public Utilities customers and $2 million in residential and personal property tax relief for individuals.
City Council approved the relief programs as part of the FY2020-21 budget that begins July 1.
“We recognize that the public health crisis has caused a financial crisis for many individuals and families in our community,” said Mayor Robert M. “Bobby” Dyer. “This relief effort is about helping people get back on their feet as we emerge from this. It will be money well spent.”
City Services Bill Pandemic Relief Program Starting July 1, will provide financial assistance to qualifying residential customers who are experiencing financial hardship due to the impacts of COVID-19. The Virginia Beach City Services Bill includes charges for solid waste collection, storm water, sanitary sewer, and water services. The pandemic relief program will provide financial assistance to qualifying applicants based on the services charged on their monthly bills. Relief is not guaranteed and is dependent on availability of funding.
Eligibility Requirements:
- Applicant must be a Virginia Beach resident with an active City Services account
- Applicant must be listed as an account holder on the requested City Services account
- Account must have been active from March 2020 or later
- Account must have an unpaid balance due from March 2020 or later (prior balances are ineligible)
- Applicant has been unemployed, furloughed or laid off in March 2020 or later
Applications can be submitted online at at this link. Due to anticipated program demand, Public Utilities staff says they cannot provide application status updates. Customers must use the online application portal to submit and check the status of their application. Customers are encouraged to create an account when submitting their application so that they can easily check their application status.
Customers without internet access can request a mail-in application by phone at (757)-385-4160; however, status updates are not available with this option.
The Department of Human Services will begin accepting applications for the Real Estate and Personal Property Tax Relief Program on July 1 and continue through July 15. The program provides tax relief for households where an occupant has lost their employment due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A maximum relief of $500 for residential real estate taxes and $250 for personal property taxes has been established for eligible households. The amount of relief will be the billed amount, or the benefit maximum, whichever is lower. Each household could potentially receive both benefits for a maximum relief amount of $750. Only one application may be filed per household. An accepted application does not guarantee any benefit disbursement – applications deemed complete will be selected for review on a lottery basis.
To be eligible for consideration, potential beneficiaries must:
- Provide proof of eligibility criteria
- Have established Virginia Beach residency as of March 1, 2020
- Be unemployed at any time after March 1, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic
- Provide a copy of their 2020 real estate and/or personal property tax bills
Potential beneficiaries may only claim their primary residence for relief – no rental or second properties are eligible.
Additional information, including necessary documents for proof of eligibility and applications, can be found online at this link.
The new Virginia Rent and Mortgage Relief Program, which launched on June 29, is helping Hampton Roads households that are facing eviction due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Department of Housing and Community Development is administering the state program through nonprofit partner ForKids. Households in need should call the Housing Crisis Hotline at (757)-587-4202 for eligibility screening.
