The financial crisis associated with the COVID-19 pandemic caused a nationwide economic disruption. Millions of Americans were left in financial distress, without enough income to pay their bills. This problem was exacerbated over the next four years as rent prices rose dramatically, making it increasingly difficult for families to afford their homes.
In response to this crisis, Congress created several programs to help financially distressed Americans pay their bills. The COVID-19 relief bill passed in December of 2020 included $25 billion in emergency rental assistance (ERA). Three months later, Congress followed this with the American Rescue Plan Act, which provided an additional $21.55 billion in ERA. Between these two programs, the government allotted $46.55 billion for housing stability and emergency rental assistance.
Over the last four years, most of this money – nearly $40 billion worth – has been disbursed. However, that leaves billions of dollars of assistance still available for American renters. It is important to note that this money is not directly available from the government. Instead, it is distributed through state, local, and tribal programs.
What Are the Requirements for Rental Assistance?
The first requirement for rental assistance is that you need to be paying rent under a rental agreement. People who own their homes or pay mortgages rather than rent are not eligible. Normally, a rental agreement exists in written form as a signed lease. However, this is not a requirement, and other forms of rental agreement are eligible, so long as you have made an arrangement to pay someone else for the right to live in your home. That home can be a house, an apartment, a mobile home, or another type of permanent dwelling.
The second requirement is that someone in your household must be able to demonstrate financial hardship. At least one of the people who would normally be helping to pay the rent needs to show a difficulty that prevents them from doing so. This could be unemployment, lost income, heavy expenses, or some other sort of hardship.
The third requirement is that your total household income must be low enough to impede your paying the rent. Because the cost of living varies greatly from place to place, the exact threshold depends on where you live.
The fourth requirement is that at least one member of your household must be able to show housing instability. You must be able to show that someone in the household is at serious risk of becoming homeless or being unable to find a stable housing situation if you have to leave your current residence.
How Do I Prove My Eligibility for Rental Assistance?
The various state, local, and tribal organizations that distribute rental assistance have different requirements. In general, the easiest way to demonstrate that you are a renter is to produce a signed lease or rental agreement. If you don’t have such an agreement, many agencies will accept a formal statement from your landlord along with a utility bill for your address in your name.
Demonstrating your income is often straightforward, but unusual cases may prove difficult to handle. Some agencies will accept a written statement from you, especially if you have a disability, lack access to technology, or have certain other special needs. Others may ask for documents such as pay stubs, tax documents, unemployment benefits statements, or affidavits from your employer. Still others may assign you a caseworker to gather evidence.
Demonstrating housing instability is an area that varies greatly depending on local rules. Many agencies ask for a past-due rent or utility bill or an eviction notice. Even if you don’t have this sort of notice to show, many agencies will accept proof that you live in unsafe or unhealthy living conditions. These can include notices of condemnation and findings of failed safety inspections.
How Do I Contact My Local Rental Assistance Agency?
You can speak to experts in rental assistance by dialing 211 on any phone. This is a free service provided to help people get in touch with housing assistance groups.
Additionally, you can visit the Treasury Emergency Rental Assistance Dashboard at https://nlihc.org/era-dashboard. This site provides an extensive list of rental assistance agencies organized by state, with hotlinks to each one. It also provides vital information on each program, including evidence requirements, expenses covered in addition to rent, whether payments are made to the tenant or to the landlord, and, perhaps most importantly, which programs are closed and which are still accepting applications.
What Else Can I Do About My Rent and Utilities Problems?
In addition to the monetary aid provided by national ERA programs, there are a number of other resources available to Americans who are having difficulty paying for housing costs.
Tenants have rights, and in many places can legally resist eviction. The law varies by state, and to get help in this area, you need a lawyer who is a member in good standing of your state bar and knows your state’s property laws. This help is often available even if you cannot afford to hire a lawyer on your own. Every state has a legal aid organization that sometimes provides legal services for a reduced fee or even without charge.
You also have rights protecting you from unfair practices by debt collectors.
Your landlord may tell you that disputes go on your credit record and can make it impossible to find rental housing in the future. It is true that many landlords view your credit screening report in order to determine whether to rent to you and how large a security deposit to demand. However, you have the right to view your tenant screening report and dispute inaccurate statements.
The financial crisis associated with the COVID-19 pandemic caused a nationwide economic disruption. Millions of Americans were left in financial distress, without enough income to pay their bills. This problem was exacerbated over the next four years as rent prices rose dramatically, making it increasingly difficult for families to afford their homes.
In response to this crisis, Congress created several programs to help financially distressed Americans pay their bills. The COVID-19 relief bill passed in December of 2020 included $25 billion in emergency rental assistance (ERA). Three months later, Congress followed this with the American Rescue Plan Act, which provided an additional $21.55 billion in ERA. Between these two programs, the government allotted $46.55 billion for housing stability and emergency rental assistance.
Over the last four years, most of this money – nearly $40 billion worth – has been disbursed. However, that leaves billions of dollars of assistance still available for American renters. It is important to note that this money is not directly available from the government. Instead, it is distributed through state, local, and tribal programs.
What Are the Requirements for Rental Assistance?
The first requirement for rental assistance is that you need to be paying rent under a rental agreement. People who own their homes or pay mortgages rather than rent are not eligible. Normally, a rental agreement exists in written form as a signed lease. However, this is not a requirement, and other forms of rental agreement are eligible, so long as you have made an arrangement to pay someone else for the right to live in your home. That home can be a house, an apartment, a mobile home, or another type of permanent dwelling.
The second requirement is that someone in your household must be able to demonstrate financial hardship. At least one of the people who would normally be helping to pay the rent needs to show a difficulty that prevents them from doing so. This could be unemployment, lost income, heavy expenses, or some other sort of hardship.
The third requirement is that your total household income must be low enough to impede your paying the rent. Because the cost of living varies greatly from place to place, the exact threshold depends on where you live.
The fourth requirement is that at least one member of your household must be able to show housing instability. You must be able to show that someone in the household is at serious risk of becoming homeless or being unable to find a stable housing situation if you have to leave your current residence.
How Do I Prove My Eligibility for Rental Assistance?
The various state, local, and tribal organizations that distribute rental assistance have different requirements. In general, the easiest way to demonstrate that you are a renter is to produce a signed lease or rental agreement. If you don’t have such an agreement, many agencies will accept a formal statement from your landlord along with a utility bill for your address in your name.
Demonstrating your income is often straightforward, but unusual cases may prove difficult to handle. Some agencies will accept a written statement from you, especially if you have a disability, lack access to technology, or have certain other special needs. Others may ask for documents such as pay stubs, tax documents, unemployment benefits statements, or affidavits from your employer. Still others may assign you a caseworker to gather evidence.
Demonstrating housing instability is an area that varies greatly depending on local rules. Many agencies ask for a past-due rent or utility bill or an eviction notice. Even if you don’t have this sort of notice to show, many agencies will accept proof that you live in unsafe or unhealthy living conditions. These can include notices of condemnation and findings of failed safety inspections.
How Do I Contact My Local Rental Assistance Agency?
You can speak to experts in rental assistance by dialing 211 on any phone. This is a free service provided to help people get in touch with housing assistance groups.
Additionally, you can visit the Treasury Emergency Rental Assistance Dashboard at https://nlihc.org/era-dashboard. This site provides an extensive list of rental assistance agencies organized by state, with hotlinks to each one. It also provides vital information on each program, including evidence requirements, expenses covered in addition to rent, whether payments are made to the tenant or to the landlord, and, perhaps most importantly, which programs are closed and which are still accepting applications.
What Else Can I Do About My Rent and Utilities Problems?
In addition to the monetary aid provided by national ERA programs, there are a number of other resources available to Americans who are having difficulty paying for housing costs.
Tenants have rights, and in many places can legally resist eviction. The law varies by state, and to get help in this area, you need a lawyer who is a member in good standing of your state bar and knows your state’s property laws. This help is often available even if you cannot afford to hire a lawyer on your own. Every state has a legal aid organization that sometimes provides legal services for a reduced fee or even without charge.
You also have rights protecting you from unfair practices by debt collectors.
Your landlord may tell you that disputes go on your credit record and can make it impossible to find rental housing in the future. It is true that many landlords view your credit screening report in order to determine whether to rent to you and how large a security deposit to demand. However, you have the right to view your tenant screening report and dispute inaccurate statements.
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