State Emergency Rental Assistance Now Accepting Applications

GREENBURGH, NY — A program providing emergency rental assistance is now accepting applications.

According to an email from Assemblyman Tom Abinanti, D-92nd District, said, in this year's state budget, several billion dollars were appropriated to fund programs to help residential and commercial tenants and landlords who face coronavirus-related financial hardship.

He said the state announced the first program, for which applications are now being accepted, which supports households that are behind in rent, experienced financial hardship, are at risk of homelessness or housing instability and earn at or below 80 percent of area median income.

New York residents are eligible for the Emergency Rental Assistance Program if they meet all of the following criteria:

• Household gross income is at or below 80 percent of the Area Median Income. 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 this website.

For more information, call 1-844-NY1-RENT (691-7368). If hearing impaired, a TTY phone number is available: 1-833-843-8829.

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