Emergency Rental Assistance Program: Get 15 Months of Help with Rent & Utilities!

Have you heard about the Emergency Rental Assistance Program? If you need help with rent and utilities due to the COVID-19 pandemic, then you need to know about this program!

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00:00 Intro
00:33 Who qualifies for Emergency Rental Assistance Program?
02:03 What can the Emergency Rental Assistance Program be used for?
02:18 How much money will you receive?
02:55 How do you apply for the Emergency Rental Assistance Program?

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Low Income Relief is a free information service that connects low income people across America with benefits, programs and resources in their local communities. Basically, we help millions of people save money and get free stuff every year!

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The Emergency Rental Assistance Program has $25 billion to help people who cannot afford their rent or utilities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In this video, we’ll show you how to get up to 15 months of help with your rent and utilities!

I’m Nicole from Low Income Relief, where we help millions of people save money and
get free stuff.

As we’ve discussed in a previous video, those funds were given directly to states and local organizations for disbursement. That makes things a bit complicated, but the good news is that many areas have now made that funding available.

Who qualifies for the Emergency Rental Assistance Program?

This program is available in all US States, including the District of Columbia, as well as US Territories.

In order to be eligible for this program, you must meet these criteria:
At least one member of your household must qualify for unemployment OR have experienced a reduction in household income or incurred increased costs OR experienced a financial hardship due to COVID-19.
You must demonstrate a risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability.
You must have a household income at or below 80% of the area median income.

It sounds straightforward but there are a lot of misunderstandings about this. For example, many people do not realize that living with family or friends is a form of homelessness and housing instability.

Also, the area median income may surprise you. For example, 80% of the area median income in San Francisco, California, is $71,700 for one person, $82,000 for a couple or $102,500 for a family of four. It is important to look up the area median income for your local area.

Priority access is given to households that have been unemployed for the previous 90 days and/or have an income that is at or below 50% of the area median income.

What can the Emergency Rental Assistance program be used for?

The funds from this program can be used for rent and utilities, including past-due rent and utilities. It can also be used for other costs related to housing.

How much funding could you receive?

This program offers up to 12 months of assistance. An additional 3 months may be added if necessary to ensure housing stability and funds are available.

The program will pay the past due rent first, if there is any. You do not have to be behind on your rent in order to use this program.

If you need help moving forward, the agency can only commit to paying future rent for up to three months at a time. You will need to reapply for additional help at the end of each three month period if you still need assistance.

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