Hillsborough Offers Help For Residents Struggling To Pay Rent

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL — The application portal has opened for the Rapid Response Recovery Emergency Rental Assistance Program.

Hillsborough County and the City of Tampa received more than $44 million from the federal Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 to assist residents who are unable to pay rent and utilities due to the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Emergency Rental Assistance Program’s online application portal is open to eligible households with an active lease with past-due payments who are at or below 50 percent of the Area Median Income as reported on their 2020 Federal Income Tax filing or with zero income during the 90 days before the application date. See the full list of eligibility criteria here.

Starting Monday, April 12 at 8 a.m., eligible households at or below 80 percent AMI will be able to apply for the Emergency Rental Assistance Program through the online portal.

Through this additional funding, the program aims to prevent recipients from experiencing further financial hardship by providing up to $7,500 for past-due rent and up to $750 for past-due TECO electric bills per approved household.

The program’s eligibility criteria, documentation requirements for households, and the online application portal here.

Any eligible resident of Hillsborough County, including families in Tampa, Plant City and Temple Terrace, can apply for assistance.

The county urges residents who need assistance to review the eligibility criteria and requirements before applying. This ensures applications are complete, accurate and can be quickly reviewed to determine eligibility.

The program will accept 1,000 completed applications on a weekly basis. Once 1,000 completed applications have been submitted, the online portal will temporarily close. The application portal will continue to reopen to qualifying residents every following Monday to accept its weekly application allotment while funding is available.

Eligible residents may fill out an application even if the portal acceptance is closed, and they can save their progress so they are prepared to submit a completed application when the portal reopens the following Monday.

Landlords are also able to register all applicable rental properties within Hillsborough County, including in Tampa, Temple Terrace and Plant City. Registration is required for landlords to receive payments directly for past-due rent if their tenants are approved.

Rental financial assistance will be a direct payment to registered landlords for past-due rent of approved tenants.

Electric financial assistance will be paid directly to TECO and will cover past-due charges. Tenants whose landlord did not register will receive the funds directly.

For full details, click here.