It was a simple fall that left Kathy, a 61-year-old Upper Keys housekeeper, without work for months and struggling to pay her bills.

Kathy fractured her wrist and pelvis while cleaning her own large fish tank in June, an injury that led to the formation of a blood clot that made her recovery more expensive and time consuming.

Only last month was Kathy able to return to work part time, but it's not enough to cover all her bills, including more than $7,000 in medical costs not covered by her insurance. In recent months, she has relied on the generosity of friends and co-workers, including her boss, who held her job for her for months.

As most people living in the Florida Keys, Kathy has struggled to save money for such a rainy day.

"I live paycheck to paycheck," said Kathy, who asked The Citizen not to publish her last name because she is embarrassed about her financial situation. "I lived comfortably. I never thought it was a problem. Once this happened it took everything away from me. ... This was a tremendous setback because I had no income."

Kathy is among the first to apply and qualify for a new Monroe County grant program designed to keep people from becoming homeless because they lose their jobs or cannot work because of illness.

Monroe County Social Services Division, with the help of the Southernmost Homeless Assistance League, has received $428,000 in federal stimulus funds for the short-term rent assistance program, said Sheryl Graham, county social services director.

The county since September has received 60 applications for the two-year grant, which is expected to help 200 to 240 people, Graham said.

The grant coincides with another county program that helps people pay their utility bills. Eligible residents must be at or below 50 percent of the median income level, and renters must have a signed rental agreement with their landlords, Graham said.

Applications for the new rent assistance program can be printed from Monroe County's Web site at http://www.monroecounty-fl.gov. Details about eligibility and mail-in instructions are included with the application. Appointments will be made as funding becomes available.

tohara@keysnews.com