Kentucky – Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP)

A Brief Overview of the Healthy at Home Tenant Relief Fund

Renters are the only ones who can participate in this program. Homeowners who are looking for assistance should come to this location.

It is requested that you DO NOT call to check about the progress of your application. Access the HHERF system on the other hand. (If you’re viewing this on a mobile device, you’ll need to scroll all the way to the right!)

For the purpose of providing temporary assistance with rent, funds from the United States Treasury were appropriated as part of the federal COVID-19 relief Act. This page contains Team Kentucky’s schedule for the next season. Reviewing the program specifics and creating an account are required steps in the application process for both landlords and tenants.

Purpose

• Give assistance with RENT and/or UTILITIES to Kentucky renters so that they can remain in their homes.
• Authorize substantial quantities of back rent and utility payments to be collected by landlords and utility companies.
• Cut down on the number of times that eviction cases are heard in Kentucky courts.

Geography

• Every county in Kentucky, with the exception of Fayette County (119 of 120 counties)
• Only residents of Jefferson County are eligible to receive assistance from the HHERF Rental Assistance program. To submit an application for assistance with your utility bills in the Louisville-Jefferson County area, click here.
• Here is the place to submit your resume for a job in Lexington-Fayette County.

Tenant candidates must meet ALL of the following standards to be eligible:

• Tenants in any Kentucky county other than Fayette County renters in any other Kentucky county
• Residents of Jefferson County may apply for HHERF rent help; however, they are not eligible for HHERF utility assistance.
• You had a decline or loss of income as a direct result of the COVID-19 outbreak, or you experienced some other form of economic trouble.
• Depending on the amount owed, tenant applicants may seek assistance with either their rent, utilities, or both.
• IF YOU NEED RENT ASSISTANCE: You are facing eviction owing to a past due letter from your landlord, a pending court eviction, an eviction notice, or another document of a similar kind.
• IF YOU ARE SEEKING UTILITY ASSISTANCE: According to your most recent utility bill, you are overdue on your utility payments.
• It is unlawful for a household’s gross income before taxes to exceed 80% of the region’s median income (AMI). By clicking here, you may look up the monthly income restrictions or the annual income limits. (Tenants in Jefferson County seeking assistance with utility bills are not eligible for HHERF assistance.)
• Are requesting assistance with reference to their primary residence (the address where the applicant lives and sleeps).
• This program cannot provide rental assistance in the same month that the renter received other types of short-term assistance; however, it can provide rent support in other months.
• If a tenant is qualified for monthly rent subsidies through a program like Section 8, they are eligible for HHERF assistance with tenant parts of past due rent, but not with current or future rent.
• Those who live with family and pay their rent informally are ineligible.
• Those who now owe rent on a property and own a trailer home are eligible for this program.
• Tenants who claim to be behind on their rent but have no history of paying rent at a unit may be denied assistance.

Candidates for the position of the landlord must meet ALL of the following requirements:

• If rent is not paid on time, all late fees, fines, interest, and legal or court fees must be waived.
• Have an up-to-date documented lease or sign a leasing agreement with their tenant. Please click here to get an example leasing agreement (or lease addendum if needed).
• Must sign an agreement committing not to evict the renter for any unpaid rent not covered by this program.
• Before commencing the eviction process, the landlord must give the tenant at least 15 days’ notice and wait at least 30 days after the last month for which HHERF aid was received before initiating the eviction process.
• Must be willing to accept the HHERF settlement agreement’s requirements and supply all required evidence. (This is the Spanish translation.)

Some Kind of Assistive Hand

• Direct deposit payments to landlords in lump sums.
• Payments are made in one single amount to a number of utility providers.

The quantity of assistance received

• Up to twelve months’ rent that has been past due since April 1, 2020, plus three months’ payment for the coming year.
• Beginning April 1, 2020, you can get up to twelve months of past-due utility payments, plus three months of future utility payments.
• The maximum period of coverage for overdue rent and/or utility bills is twelve months.
• The maximum amount that can be paid toward future rent and/or utility expenditures is three months.

You must give an email address in order to submit an application.

• The potential renter must include the landlord’s email address on the rental application.
  On the application for the landlord position, the landlord must write down the tenant’s email address.
• If you do not already have an email address, please click this link to discover how to set up a free email account.

Documentation necessary to be submitted by TENANTS:

• A duplicate of the state identification card
• If the address on your state ID does not match your current address, you will get proof of residency in the mail.
• Documentation proving the renter’s status, such as a current written lease.
• You may be required to provide one of the following documents to confirm your income:
  • The most recent IRS Form 1040 is available.
  • Proof of income for the previous 30 days (pay stubs, unemployment statement, etc.)
  • A letter of eligibility for a program based on income (SNAP, LIHEAP, etc.)
  • This form is used to get a caseworker or an affordable housing professional to verify your income eligibility.
• Please supply the following documentation if you are in rent arrears: A past-due letter from a landlord, a pending court eviction, an eviction notice, or any related document.
• Documentation proving you are late on utilities, if applicable: It is necessary to provide a copy of the most recent utility bill.
• After being authorized for HHERF rental assistance, both the tenant and the landlord must sign the HHERF settlement agreement. (Translation from Spanish)

The following documentation is requested from the LANDLORDS:

• The owner’s identification (Property deed, Property tax bill, PVA printout).
• A copy of the owner’s state identity card (such as a driver’s license) or proof of the legal status of the business (such as tax records, documented Articles of Incorporation, documents from the Kentucky Secretary of State, etc.)
• They now have a written lease agreement with their tenant. Please click here to get an example leasing agreement (or lease addendum if needed).
• Statements from accounting software or any other document demonstrating the tenant’s rent payment history, as well as a copy of the tenant rent ledger for the unit, detailing rental fees and tenant payments commencing April 1, 2020, and continuing to the present day.
• After the application has been reviewed and accepted, the Landlord will be emailed the forms indicated below to complete. BE SURE TO WAIT FOR INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE COMPLETING THESE FORMULAS:
  • The HHERF Settlement Agreement was signed not only by the renter but also by the landlord. Please click this link in order to view the document.
  • Direct Deposit Banking Application Form Please click this link in order to view the document.
  • W-9 form that is provided by the business or individual that is receiving payment. Please click this link in order to view the document.
  • An authorization form must be submitted to the Agency. Please click this link in order to view the document.

Furthermore, the following are included:

• Please see this website for a list of further resources and help.
• To apply for eviction relief in Lexington-Fayette County, go to https://commaction.org/housing-stabilization/.
• Please click here to submit an application for utility assistance in the Louisville-Jefferson County area.
• If you are a homeowner searching for help, click on this website.
• If you are a homeowner in need of assistance with your utility bills, please contact your local community action organization.
• If you were denied HHERF assistance, you may file an appeal by following the instructions on this form.

Denise M

Originally from Toronto, Canada, Denise Madison, age 34, is an expert in housing policy and rental assistance. Denise earned her Master’s in Public Administration from McGill University, focusing her thesis on the effectiveness of rental assistance programs in major Canadian cities. After graduation, she worked with the Canadian government before transitioning to a consulting role in the United States, aiding in the enhancement of federal housing policies and programs. Denise is known for her practical workshops and seminars aimed at landlords and tenants, fostering better understanding and compliance with housing laws. When not at work, Denise cherishes time with her husband and their three young children, exploring the outdoors and teaching them about the importance of community involvement.