North Little Rock – River City Ministry, a faith‑based nonprofit and day shelter, has agreed to assume administration of the federal Continuum of Care rent‑grant program previously run by People Trust Community Loan Fund. The move offers a hopeful path for families who have endured months of unpaid rent and eviction threats.

Why the change matters

People Trust came under investigation by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for serious non‑compliance. After the City of Little Rock’s brief attempt to temporarily manage the grants fell through due to legal‑liability concerns, River City Ministry stepped in to fill the gap.

Leadership’s perspective

Letha Todd, Director of Development and Administration at River City Ministry, said the decision was reached after careful prayer and consideration. “We really thought about it, we meditated, we prayed about it, and we just decided that this was a really good thing for us,” she explained.

Todd noted that the ministry has already seen a surge in families seeking help, with increased demand for meals and services for children. “We started seeing an increase as far as our breakfast and our lunches are concerned and then it really tugged at us because then we started seeing an increase as far as children that we were seeing coming in,” she said.

Next steps for tenants

The ministry will begin a recertification process to verify each household’s eligibility for continued assistance. “We’re just starting right now with the recertification process and so we have set some dates, and we’re solidifying them but our first date is going to be tomorrow,” Todd said.

To support tenants during this transition, River City Ministry will host a boot‑camp on Tuesday, November 10, at the Willie Hinton Neighborhood Resource Center on West 12th Street in Little Rock. The event runs from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and will provide information on the recertification process, budgeting, and available resources.

Community impact

Local families and advocates have welcomed the development, seeing it as a concrete step toward stabilizing housing for those at risk of homelessness. While questions remain about how quickly assistance will resume, the ministry’s involvement signals renewed commitment to serving vulnerable residents.

Channel 7 will continue to monitor the transition and report on how the new administration affects affected tenants.

Original reporting: KATV Little Rock (local) — read the source article.