Public Notice - Applications for New City of Miami Emergency Rental

<h1 "="">Emergency Rental Assistance Program Applications Available March 29 <p small-text"="">Published on March 26, 2021(Miami, FL - March 26, 2021) - The new City of Miami Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERA), approved by the Miami City Commission, will start accepting applications on Monday, March 29, 9 am. The $14.1 million program is funded by the U.S. Department of the Treasury and will provide financial relief to income-eligible renters within City of Miami limits (property folio must start with 01) who experienced financial hardship due to COVID-19 and meet all other program requirements.

The City’s ERA program can provide qualifying applicants with up to twelve months of assistance to include rental arrears, utility assistance (power, water and sewer, gas, Internet), and/or three months of prospective rent, capped at a maximum of $2,000 a month per household and not to exceed $24,000 total.  Eligible applicants may also qualify for other expenses related to housing, on a case by case basis, to include relocation expenses and rental fees of temporarily/permanently displaced households, reasonable accrued late fees, and any other housing related expense deemed eligible by the U.S. Treasury.

Under the City of Miami ERA program, the applicant must be a renter within City limits: 

  • whose household has an adult member (age 18 and up) who has qualified for unemployment benefits or has experienced a reduction in household income, incurred significant costs, or experienced a financial hardship due to COVID-19;
  • whose household has an adult member who demonstrates a risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability; and
  • whose gross household income (2020) does not exceed 80 percent of the annual area median income (AMI), with priority* given to households below 50 percent of the area median income or to households that include an individual who has been unemployed for 90 days or more prior to the application for assistance, as required by federal guidelines.

Starting on March 29, at  9 am, eligible renters are encouraged to apply via the online portal during which they must provide all supporting documents as requested, including (but not limited to): a copy of a current, executed rental lease, proof of income for all members of the household, photo ID for all adult members of household, copies of utility bill if seeking this assistance, etc. Additional documents may be required on a case by case basis. Landlords seeking to apply on behalf of eligible tenants can submit a landlord referral form, while the tenant will still need to provide the necessary supporting documents.  Applications will be available simultaneously for downloading and printing off the web and can be completed and submitted, along with all copies of required documentation, as indicated on the application. Paper applications can also be picked up at select City locations posted online.

Incomplete online or paper submissions, missing the supporting documentation requested, will not be processed. All assistance payments will be made directly to the landlord and utility companies. ERA program assistance cannot be used to address costs previously addressed via any federal, state, or local assistance provided for the same costs. Persons who applied for the City’s previous rental assistance program in 2020 would need to re-apply for the new program.

Complete applications will be accepted through Friday, April 30, and processed on a first-come, first-ready, first-serve basis, with the priority* applicants addressed first, based on funding availability. Applying for the ERA program does not guarantee assistance. All updates related to the City of Miami ERA program will be posted at www.miamigov.com/ERA-Program. Residents can also call 305-330-1508 for information starting on Mon., March 29.

 

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