In this year’s State Budget, the Legislature appropriated several billion dollars to fund several programs to assist residential and commercial tenants and landlords who faced COVID-related financial hardship. New York State has announced the first emergency rental assistance program. This program supports households that are behind on their rent, experienced financial hardship, are at risk of homelessness or housing instability and earn at or below 80 percent of area median income.
Applications are currently being accepted.
New York residents are eligible for the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) if they meet all of the following criteria:
- Household gross income is at or below 80 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI). These income limits differ by county and household size. A household may qualify based on current income or calendar year 2020 income that is at or below 80 percent AMI.
- On or after March 13, 2020, a member of the household received unemployment benefits or experienced a reduction in income, incurred significant costs or experienced financial hardship, directly or indirectly, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The applicant is obligated to pay rent at their primary residence and has rental arrears (rent overdue) at their current residence for rent owed on or after March 13, 2020.
- The household must be at risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability, which can be demonstrated by having rental arrears owed on or after March 13, 2020.
Applications will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis, as long as funds remain available after the first 30 days of the program. Applicants and landlords should visit https://otda.ny.gov/programs/emergency-rental-assistance/ or call 1-844-NY1-RENT (1-844-691-7368). If you are hearing impaired, a TTY phone number is available by calling 1-833-843-8829.