Confused About Emergency Rental Assistance? Read This

You may fear being evicted due to financial troubles caused by the pandemic. While times may seem tough right now, the good news is that there’s help on the way in the form of billions of dollars from the U.S. Department of Treasury.

Thanks to its Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) program, many families can get the help they need to stay off the streets. Here are some basic things you should know about this program that seems to have many people confused.

1. Who do you contact for emergency rental assistance?

There are three primary contacts to get help with paying your rent via the ERA program. The first you should contact is the most direct option, which is your state or local program. They have the funds from the U.S. Department of Treasury and are responsible for distributing them to those in need.

Believe it or not, there are 495 state and local programs with emergency rental assistance cash. This has caused issues with many wondering where to turn for help, but you can find your program by visiting this link.

Your second contact for getting emergency rental assistance is dialing 211 on your phone. Try this if you have issues finding your local program, or you simply want someone to walk you through the process.

Your third emergency rental assistance contact is your local Public Housing Agency. This is a solid option if you want help in the short term, but you would also like to secure long-term housing via Section 8 or a similar program.

2. How can you tell if you qualify for rent assistance?

While the three contacts listed above will help you determine eligibility, here are some basic requirements that you should probably meet to get a piece of the ERA pie:

• You have a rental agreement in place. Note that it does not have to be a signed lease, as long as there’s some agreement saying you owe rent.
• You meet income requirements for your location. In other words, you can’t make more than a certain amount.
• Someone in your home is experiencing housing instability and is worried about possibly being homeless.
• Someone in your home has financial issues such as deep debt, lost income, or is eligible for unemployment.

3. Can you use emergency rental assistance to pay some of your bills?

Don’t let the name “rental assistance” fool you, as the ERA program can help with other bills as well. As long as it’s related to housing somehow, you could get help with paying that bill.

For example, you may have issues with paying your utility bills or even Internet. Or, you may have had to move due to nonpayment of rent, which caused you to incur application fees, screening fees, etc., for your new home. Those are all expenses that you may be able to receive assistance with under the ERA program.