MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — Vermont homeowners who suffered pandemic-related financial hardships can apply for grants of up to $30,000 to pay overdue mortgage payments and other housing bills, Gov. Phil Scott has announced.

The Homeowner Assistance Program is funded by $50 million in federal recovery money, Scott and the Department of Housing and Community Development said Monday.

Any Vermont homeowner who meets the eligibility criteria can apply for grants to pay overdue housing bills due to a pandemic-related financial hardship. The grants can be used for late mortgage payments, utility bills, property taxes, and property association charges.

More information is available online on the Vermont Housing Finance Agency website. There is also a Homeowner Assistance Program information hotline open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 833-221-4208.