Miami Emergency Rental Assistance Program
Please take note of this. We are currently accepting applications for the positions listed below. Applications are being reviewed in the order in which they were received (noted below). After applications have been reviewed, staff will contact applicants whose applications are missing supporting documents to encourage them to submit these documents as soon as possible. In order to submit documents associated with a tenant who has applied for the program, landlords must submit their W-9 form as well as any other relevant documents.
The Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERA) 2021 of the City of Miami is designed to assist income-eligible renters within the City of Miami’s boundaries who are behind on their rent (in arrears) and/or have suffered financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in order to stabilize their rental households. The City program is made possible through the use of federal funds provided by the United States Treasury.
According to the requirements of the United States Treasury for this program, a household must include the following items in order to be eligible:
one or more individuals in the household qualified for unemployment benefits or experienced a reduction in household income, incurred significant costs, or experienced other financial hardship as a result of COVID-19, either directly or indirectly; one or more individuals in the household demonstrate a risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability; and the household’s income is at or below 80 percent of the area median income, based on household size
NOTE: In accordance with federal regulations, this program gives priority to households with incomes less than 50% of the area median income and to households with one or more members who have been out of work for at least 90 days before applying for assistance. The City is also giving preference to applicants who submit their applications with a three-day notice.
ASSISTANCE
Qualifying tenants will benefit from the funding made available through this program, which will be used to make one-time, direct payments to their landlords and utility providers. These are the payments:
A tenant’s documented past-due rent for the time period after March 13, 2020, to the present AND/OR three months’ future rent will be covered by this policy.
It is not possible to provide more than 15 months of assistance based on the household’s need (which includes past due rent, utilities, and/or three months future rent), with a cap of up to $3,000 per month, per household, and a total of up to $36,000 if necessary;
Utilities covered by this program include water and sewer, electricity, natural gas, and/or home Internet service fees.
Other housing-related expenses that may be covered by this program include (on an individual case-by-case basis): relocation expenses and rental fees for temporarily or permanently displaced households, reasonable accrued late fees, and any other housing-related expense that the United States Treasury determines to be eligible;
The tenant or the landlord cannot receive any rental assistance for the tenant’s past-due rent that has already been received by the tenant or the landlord (including but not limited to: Section 8 vouchers, Section 8 project-based rental assistance, HOPWA project-based or long-term rental assistance, VASH vouchers, Public Housing, COVID relief programs, and so on).
Applications will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis, with the exception of those who have been given a priority*, and will be processed in accordance with funding availability.
ELIGIBILITY
The applicant must meet the following requirements in order to be considered:
- Be a resident of the City of Miami (all property folios in the City of Miami begin with 01). Prior to submitting a program application, please confirm that you reside within the City by using the address locator tool: https://www.miamidade.gov/pa/property search.asp.
- Have a total household income in 2020 that does not exceed 80 percent of Area Median Income (AMI), as determined by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) every year based on household size.
- As a result of COVID-19, the applicant or an adult member of their household must have qualified for unemployment benefits, experienced a reduction in household income, or been subjected to financial hardship.
- The applicant or an adult member of their household must be experiencing housing instability in order to qualify for COVID-19.
- Submit all of the required documentation that was requested as part of the application, either through the online portal or as an attachment to the paper application form. Because of the size of this program and the anticipated high volume of applicants, it is recommended that you submit your application online. For those who prefer to use a paper application, beginning March 29, applicants can either download an application (below) to print and complete or pick up a paper application at select City locations (to be announced soon) and submit it with photocopies of all the required documentation requested, as indicated on the paper application, beginning March 29.
- Applications that do not include all of the required supporting documentation, whether submitted online or on paper, will not be processed by the City.
- The submission of an application does not imply that the applicant will be eligible for any type of financial assistance. The applicant will not be able to obtain a refund for any supporting documents submitted as part of the application process.
- Landlords who wish to submit an application on behalf of eligible tenants should complete the Landlord Referral Form (PDF) (link pending). Please keep in mind that in order for the case to be reviewed, the tenant must still provide all of the requested supporting documentation.
The assistance should be prioritized
When reviewing applications for financial assistance and housing stability services submitted by eligible households, the City shall give priority consideration to applications submitted by eligible households that meet any of the following criteria:
The household’s income does not exceed fifty percent (50%) of the household’s adjusted median income (AMI).
Individuals living in the household who are unemployed as of the date of the application for assistance and have been unemployed for the ninety-day period preceding the date of the application for assistance are eligible for assistance.
Additionally, households that have received a 3-day eviction notice or are currently involved in an eviction proceeding will receive priority assistance from the City.
Pick-Up Locations for the Application
Because of the anticipated high volume of applications for the ERA program, as well as the time required to thoroughly review each application to ensure that it complies with program requirements, it is strongly recommended that applicants submit their applications through the online portal.
For those who prefer paper applications, they will be available for pickup at the following locations:
On paper, applications must be completed and sent to the PO Box or dropped off at the DROPBOX, as specified on the application, along with the necessary supporting documentation. Please keep in mind that the City is not responsible for any delays or lost applications caused by the United States Postal Service. Once the application window has been opened, you will be able to download and print paper applications from this website.
It is important to note that the ERA program’s policies and procedures as well as its forms and other documents may be revised from time to time to ensure that public funds are utilized properly. The administration of the ERA Program is being carried out in collaboration with Nan McKay & Associates, Inc. and Sunshine for All, Inc. by the City of Miami. As a result, once an application has been submitted, the applicant may receive e-mails from NanMcKay.com or Sunshineforall.org in relation to their submission. Applicants should double-check their spam or junk mail folders for any correspondence.
Keep checking back for updates on the program in the future.