Applications opened Friday for financial assistance for locals who were financially affected by the city's water crisis. Why it matters: Richmonders could be eligible for up to $2,500 to help with rent,

That’s on top of a $25,000 contribution from Mayor Danny Avula’s political action committee, plus nearly a week’s worth of donations from members of the public.

To qualify for help, applicants must be a city resident and have demonstrated financial hardship due to the water outage.

Richmond’s recent water crisis left residents scrambling for drinkable water for days after a winter storm knocked out power at the water treatment plant, triggering a backup system failure and major flooding.