Applications are now being accepted, as of June 1, for the New York State Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP). According to government sources, the program will provide significant economic relief to help low and moderate-income households at risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability by providing rental arrears, temporary rental assistance and utility arrears assistance. There are no immigration status requirements to qualify for the program.

New York residents are eligible for 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.

Households eligible for rental arrears may also be eligible for help paying utility arrears at the same rental unit.

For the first 30 days of the program, priority will be given to households in the following order:

1. Households with income at or below 50 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI) that also include a household member who:
   • is currently unemployed for at least 90 days; or
   • is a veteran; or
   • is currently experiencing domestic violence or is a survivor of human trafficking; or
   • has an eviction case related to their current residence pending in court; or
   • resides in a mobile home; or
   • lives in a community that was disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 (Check your ZIP Code); or
   • lives in a dwelling of 20 or fewer units.
2. Households with income at or below 50 percent AMI.
3. Households with income at or below 80 percent AMI that also include a household member who:
   • is currently unemployed for at least 90 days; or
   • is a veteran; or
   • is currently experiencing domestic violence or is a survivor of human trafficking; or
   • has an eviction case related to their current residence pending in court; or
   • resides in a mobile home; or
   • lives in a community that was disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 (Check your ZIP Code); or
   • lives in a dwelling of 20 or fewer units.
4. Households with income at or below 80 percent AMI.

After the first 30 days, applications for all eligible households will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis, as long as funds remain available.

Households approved for ERAP may receive:

• Up to 12 months of rental arrears payments for rents accrued on or after March 13, 2020.
• Up to 3 months of additional rental assistance if the household is expected to spend 30 percent or more of their gross monthly income to pay for rent.
• Up to 12 months of electric or gas utility arrears payments for arrears that have accrued on or after March 13, 2020.

Payments will be made directly to the landlord/property owner and utility company on behalf of the tenant. Tenant applicants will be notified of the amounts paid on their behalf. If a landlord is difficult to locate or does not otherwise provide information needed to complete the application, funds will be held for up to 180 days to allow sufficient time to locate the landlord and collect required information as well as to provide tenant protections and maximize landlord participation.

Get Help Applying for ERAP

Documents you will need to apply when the program is open:

Renter Applicants

Renters will need to provide:

• personal identification for all household members; Acceptable forms of identification include a photo ID, driver license or non-driver government-issued ID, passport, EBT/Benefits Issuance Card, birth or baptismal certificate, school registration.
• social security number of any household members who have been issued one. Individuals do not need to have a lawful immigration status to qualify for the program;
• proof of rental amount, signed lease, even if expired; If no lease is available then proof can be shown through a rent receipt, canceled check or money order. If no documentation is available, landlord attestation will be accepted.
• proof of residency and occupancy – signed lease, rent receipt, utility bill, school records, bank statement, postal mail with name of applicant, insurance bill, or driver license; Proof should be current.
• proof of Income to document income eligibility:
  • documents demonstrating monthly income for the prior month, such as pay stubs, bank account deposit verification, unemployment benefits letter, or other proof;

OR

• • documents demonstrating annual income for 2020, such as a W-2 tax form from an employer, an annual statement of earnings, or a copy of a completed income tax return, such as a 1040, 1040EZ, 1099 tax form, or other evidence of 2020 annual income.
  • Self-attestation of income is permitted in certain circumstances where no documentation is available such as certain self-employment.
• copy of gas or electric utility bill, if applying for help paying for utility arrears at the same rental unit.

Applicants will be asked to attest that on or after March 13, 2020, a member of the household received unemployment benefits or experienced a reduction in household income, incurred significant costs or experienced other financial hardship, directly or indirectly, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The applicant will need to sign the application form and associated certifications agreeing that the information provided in the application is accurate.

Renters can access the checklist in the following languages – English, العربية, Print Renter’s checklist -বাঙালি, 中文, Kreyòl Ayisyen, Italiano, 한국의, Polski, Русский, Español, אידיש

Landlord Applicants

Landlords and property owners will need to provide:

• completed W-9 tax form;
• executed lease with tenant applicant, or if there is no written lease, a cancelled check, evidence of funds transfer or other documentation of the last full monthly rent payment;
• documentation of rent due from tenant (e.g. ledger, etc.) or attestation on application;
• banking information to receive direct deposit payment.

The property owner or an authorized property management company will be required to sign the application form and associated certifications agreeing that the information provided, including the amount of rental arrears owed, is accurate and does not duplicate a payment received from another program.

The property owner or authorized property management company must also agree to the following terms as a condition of accepting rental arrears payments:

• the ERAP payment satisfies the tenant’s full rental obligations for the time period covered by the payment;
• the waiver of any late fees due on any rental arrears covered by the ERAP payment;
• not increase the monthly rental amount above the monthly amount due at the time of application for ERAP assistance for the months for which rental assistance is received and for one year from receipt of the ERAP payment;
• not evict the household on behalf of whom the ERAP payment is made for reason of expired lease or holdover tenancy for one year from the receipt of the ERAP payment. An exception to this requirement shall be made if the dwelling unit contains four or fewer units and the property owner or owner’s immediate family members intend to immediately occupy the unit for use as a primary residence.

Landlords can access the checklist in the following languages – English, العربية, বাঙালি, 中文, Kreyòl Ayisyen, Italiano, 한국의, Polski, Русский, Español, אידיש

Helpful videos for both tenants and landlords are also available online, as below.

Understanding the NYS ERAP Program and Applying for Funding – details the various application and documentation requirements and how to apply for ERAP.

Navigating the ERAP Homepage – overview of the ERAP portal homepage, and its navigation features.

Using the Tenant Application and Uploading Documents – step-by-step walk-through of the application and document upload process.

Understanding the Landlord Portal – demonstration of the landlord portal, and associated features.

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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.