NYC launches rental assistance program to pay four-month rent

New York City under its coronavirus relief initiative has launched a new emergency rental assistance program aimed at helping low-income families with their tenament fees.

The program which is part of the CARES Act was launched on Tuesday July 14, 2020 and targeted throughout New York.

The program is administered by New York State Homes and Community Renewal and the program applications could be accessed here

Eligible households will benefit from a one-time rental subsidy paid directly to landlords and housing providers. Tenants are not required to repay this assistance.

In a statement released, applicants are required to meet all eligibility requirements to qualify for the program.

“To qualify for the program, applicants must be a renter with a primary residence in New York State and at the time of application, household income (including unemployment benefits) must be below 80 percent of the Area Median Income, adjusted for household size,” the statement reads

It also stated that before March 1, 2020 and at the time of application, the household must have been “rent burdened,” – must be paying more than 30 percent of gross monthly income towards rent.

The statement added that, “Applicants must have lost income during any period between April 1, 2020 and July 31, 2020.”

The rental assistance program will be available for two weeks and residents can apply a time within that period.

Households can apply for up to four months in rental assistance for the months of April through July.

The program is open to households that rent apartments, single-family homes, manufactured homes and manufactured home lots.

The statement said applicants must provide a copy of a lease or other proof of monthly rental amount alongside a proof of household’s gross income prior to March 1,2020 and at present, when applying.

The COVID Rent Relief Program builds upon the State’s efforts to protect New York’s renters during the coronavirus pandemic.

This includes a statewide moratorium on COVID-related residential or commercial evictions; banning late payments or fees for missed rent payments during the eviction moratorium; and allowing renters facing financial hardship due to COVID-19 to use their security deposit as payment and repay their security deposit over time.