Jefferson County residents who live outside of Birmingham may once again be eligible for rental and utility assistance from the county starting this week.

This has the potential to affect thousands of households. With over 670,000 residents, Jefferson County is the largest county in Alabama. Over 400,000 of those residents live outside of Birmingham city limits, and as many as 16.4%, or over 65,000 of those people live below the poverty line, according to the most recent Census.