Iowa rent assistance needed, overdue utility bills climb amid COVID-19
Des Moines Register Like thousands of Iowans, Matt Brummett lost a job he loved during the COVID-19 pandemic and has teetered for weeks on the edge of losing his home and being cut off from utilities. Last year ended with nearly 185,000 Iowans, many struggling with lost jobs and reduced hours from the coronavirus crisis, owing $36 million in past-due gas and electric bills, 25% more than in 2019, state records show. A national housing report shows that as many as 106,000 Iowans also owe a combined total of about $114 million on their rent. Despite an Iowa unemployment rate that's fallen...