Walmart and Urban League Partner to Provide COVID-19 Relief

The COVID-19 shutdown in Pennsylvania occurred in March 2020, which quickly resulted in lost jobs and people who were suddenly unable to make their rent and mortgage payments. 

Mr. Ramy Ali was unfortunately one of many who was negatively impacted by the virus. Due to COVID-19 he was furloughed from his hotel job and unable to pay rent as a result. Adding to the financial strain, Mr. Ali is a married father of four children. He visited the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh or ULGP (Pittsburgh, PA) seeking help to prevent eviction from his home. The ULGP provided Mr. Ali with rental counseling, which includes creating a sustainable budget and action plan to help plan for future spending.

The Urban League has access to Walmart funding for housing counseling supplemented with local funds that provide up to $3,000 per client to assist with rent, mortgage payments and utility payments. Because English was not Mr. Ali’s first language, the Good Neighbor program also got involved. The Good Neighbor program is a community-based effort designed to welcome recently settled refugees and assimilate them into several Pittsburgh neighborhoods. They found someone who spoke his dialect and assisted ULGP staff in getting all of the needed forms completed by the tenant and landlord.

As a result, the ULGP was able to pay two months of rent for the Ali family to help them survive the COVID-19 shut down. Additionally, the Urban League will regularly check in with Mr. Ali over the next 90 days to discuss his housing stability and determine if other supports are required.