Spanish Cove Townhomes by Pepper Pike Management is located off a busy road in Florissant. A sprawling set of apartments, it covers nearly 800 units.

Yet there is an almost ghost town feel to the place. Many of the units are shiny and new, but remain empty, the result of a massive renovation that began more than a year ago.

Three years ago Latice Valiant lived here with her young son. They had a good life.

But then the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020. Valiant lost her job in retail a year later and fell behind on rent, then faced eviction.

Valiant had heard from a neighbor about a new program called SAFHR, or State Assistance for Housing Relief. It was a Missouri-run, federally funded program to help eligible tenants hurt financially by the COVID-19 pandemic. It provided rental and utility aid directly to landlords on behalf of tenants, as well as mortgage assistance for homeowners.

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