COVID-19 QwestPM Resident Update as of 3/26/20

Dear Valued Resident(s),

In whatever way the current COVID-19 global pandemic may be affecting you and your families, all of us here at Qwest Property Management wish you the best as we navigate this uncertainty together.

As this unprecedented situation continues to unfold, there is no question that the Coronavirus outbreak is likely to have a major impact on everyone. But, it may be most felt financially by people who are renters in our communities. QwestPM recognizes this and certainly sympathize with the hardships that many of our Residents are likely facing during this time. QwestPM wants our Residents to know that we are all in this together and that we are going to do everything we can to help our Residents get through this difficult time.

A lot has happened over the last few weeks. Specifically, since Governor Whitmer first announced the K-12 school closings on March 13th, 2020. As of today, 3/26/20, there are still so many unknowns and it seems that information changes daily, if not hourly at times. Obviously, we do not know the extent that COVID-19 will have on all of us. Nor how long it will take before America will get back to work so our economy can regain stability again. We do not know if the Governor's Executive Order to stay-at-home will be extended past the current expiration date of April 13, 2020. Nor do we know the full extent that the Government will make in mitigating the impact and how effective they will be at providing financial relief. Although, over the past few days, progress has been made at the Federal level and it looks very promising.

The goal of this communication with our Residents is to do three things:

Provide some information for some potential resources that may help our Residents who have been negatively impacted by COVID-19 financially.
Explain what QwestPM will do to try and lessen the hardship for our Residents.
Try to get ahead of the inevitable questions that our Residents will have as April's rent will become due soon. And, hopefully, help put you at ease as much as possible regarding this.

Resources:

First, we want to provide you with a list of resources that you may be able to find help and/or assistance with.

F.O.R Helpline (Food and Other Resources): No internet required. Call 1-888-544-8733 for help finding a food pantry, assistance in applying for SNAP benefits, and connecting to other resources.
FOOD: 2-1-1 is a great resource for food. Many people are donating right now.
Unemployment: www.michigan.gov/uia or call 866-500-0017. Michigan has expanded and expedited the process for obtaining unemployment due to COVID-19, and the Federal Government is expected to greatly expand unemployment benefits when the Coronavirus Aid & Stimulus Package passes Congress and is signed by the President (expected to pass and President to sign this Friday 3/27/20).
Rental Arrears: Kent County Community Action helps with rental arrears and does not require an eviction summons, just a rental ledger showing a negative balance owed. 616-632-7950
Past Due Utilities: DHHS is the best place to start at www.michigan.gov/mibridges and click on State of Emergency Relief Application.
DHHS Benefits: www.michigan.gov/mibridges for help with food stamps, health care, child care payments, cash assistance and help with State Emergency Relief - which can include help with rent and utilities.
Homelessness: The Salvation Army is the first resource to contact and they can help point you to other agencies who can help people who are facing homelessness: 616-454-5840 Option 1

Additionally, as of today, the Federal Government is very close to getting the Coronavirus Aid & Stimulus Package passed. My understanding is that it will be voted on and passed by the House of Representatives on Friday 3/27/20 and the President has stated he will sign it immediately after it is passed by the House. Of course, nothing is passed until it is passed, so this should be considered as speculation. But, it seems to be inevitable at this point that a HUGE amount of financial help will be provided by this Coronavirus Aid & Stimulus Package. More details below -

What will QwestPM do to help lessen the financial hardship our Residents my be going through?:

Again, QwestPM feels like we are all in this together and we are all going to get through this together as well. And, in that spirit, Qwest Property Management will be waiving late fees in April for all of our Residents who have had their income directly affected by the COVID-19 epidemic. If you have experienced legitimate and verifiable employment and income hardships due to COVID-19, including the Governor's Executive Order No. 2020-21 which put the stay-at-home order on all Michigan residents then we ask that you fill out our online form and officially submit your request to modify the late fee policy so April's late fee can be waived. Here is the link to the form COVID-19 Resident Hardship Notice for April 2020

How will Rent in April be Handled by QwestPM?:

We initially waited to put out any information regarding our response to the COVID-19 situation because frankly, until just recently, it didn't look good at all. In fact, it looked like this could have potentially crashed our economy for years to come. Also, because we know that so many Americans will be affected, there was no question that there would be Government intervention that would ultimately change and/or dictate what our response would be anyway. The good news is that it really looks like the State Government and the Federal Government have really stepped up and the negative financial impact that most of us will feel will be much less than initially anticipated. Do not get me wrong. I know there will be companies/employers that will go out of business due to COVID-19 and many people will lose their jobs. But, because of the Coronavirus Aid & Stimulus Package that should be passed this week. There will likely be many different ways that our Residents (and their employers) will receive financial relief. The two big ones will be the expanded unemployment benefits and the direct payments that this bill should be providing all of our Residents, including those who have not been financially impacted by the Coronavirus.

We have seen reports that the payments that this bill will provide will be $1,200.00 per person and an additional $500.00 per child. These payments are expected to be direct deposited to our Residents within the next 3-4 weeks after the bill is signed by the President. Additionally, this bill is said to expand unemployment benefits by $600.00 per week for up to four months. If all of this is true, then we believe most of our Residents who have been impacted by COVID-19 will be back on their feet as early as late April or possibly into May. But, it is also very likely that business in America will be getting back to work by late April or maybe into May. So, again, we are feeling really good that our Resident's financial lives should be getting back to normal over the next two months. And, these relief benefits will really bridge that gap.

We have heard from some of our Residents that a lot of rumors are circulating that they don't need to pay April rent, that there is a moratorium on rents. That is pretty worrisome to hear because it is absolutely not true. And, I'm afraid that this belief could put a lot more people and families at even more risk if they are not going to pay their rent. I'm sure the confusion stems from Governor Whitmer's Executive Order No. 2020-19, which was signed on March 20th, 2020 and which put a temporary stay on all evictions until April 17th, 2020. That is true. But, the purpose of this Order was not to allow tenants to stay in their leased homes free of charge. Rather, the purpose of the Order was to allow tenants to continue to have the protection that a residential home provides from the COVID-19 pandemic, and to comply with the orders to self-quarantine during the stay-at-home order, etc. It did not waive rent payments from being charged.

So, the question is still, "How will rent in April be handled by QwestPM?" For the most part, not much will change at all. For those Residents who have not been impacted by COVID-19, nothing has changed. You will need to pay your April rent in full the same as always. For those Residents who have had their income affected by COVID-19, please fill out this online form COVID-19 Resident Hardship Notice for April 2020 as soon as you can so if you are going to be late in April then we can try to help by waiving your late fee. If you cannot pay the entire amount, then please pay as much as you can and look to get it paid in full as soon as possible. Contractually, Qwest Property Management must enforce the terms of the lease. We simply do not have a choice in the matter. So, we have to follow our standard collection procedure which means if your rent is not paid in full by around the 9th of the month, we will still send you the 7-day eviction notice for non-payment. However, PLEASE UNDERSTAND, our intent is NOT to evict anyone. Our intent will be to work with our Residents for as long as possible as we are confident that our Residents will be back on their feet financially relatively soon. And, again, due to the Governor's Order, the courts will not allow for an eviction anyway. But, because we are contractually obligated to follow the collection procedure the notice will need to be filed with the court so that if it turns out that we have absolutely no choice then we need to have the ability to act if that is the only option. I am hopeful and am honestly confident that we can get through this entire COVID-19 nightmare and not have a single one of our Residents be displaced because of it. Personally, that is my number one goal as we look ahead over the next few months.

Respectfully,

Kevin Wright Broker Qwest Property Management, LLC