Residents of Calcasieu Parish who meet the requirements for the Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) Program, which is administered by the Human Services Department of the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury, are eligible to receive financial assistance with housing-related expenses like rent and utilities.
Submit your application for the ERP here!
The Department of Human Services was granted $13 million in federal funds in March of 2021, all of which were later utilized in order to provide funding for the program. These funds are a portion of the $308 million that the state of Louisiana received from the United States Department of Treasury in order to assist local residents with a variety of costs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of these costs include, but are not limited to, rent, rent arrears payments, utilities, home energy costs, and other expenditures that are comparable.
In order for a household to be eligible for consideration for participation in the program, at least one member of the home must meet each of the requirements that are listed below:
- Must be influenced by COVID in some way, either directly or indirectly, and in some way, it must be.
- Must be a resident of the Parish of Calcasieu.
- Must have an annual income that is significantly lower than 80% of the region’s median income in order to qualify.
- Must present evidence that they are at risk of becoming homeless or experiencing housing instability in order to qualify for assistance.
To be considered to have been impacted by the pandemic, the household’s income must have decreased, the household must have incurred significant costs associated with the pandemic, the household must have qualified for unemployment benefits, the household must have incurred significant costs associated with the pandemic, or the household must have experienced severe financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.
If the household wishes to have their income considered at or below 80 percent of the Area Median Income, they are required to provide either their tax returns for the year 2020 or the tax returns for the year 2021. (AMI). According to the number of people living in each family, the AMI for Calcasieu Parish is as follows:
According to the number of people living in each family, the AMI for Calcasieu Parish is as follows:
- One-person dwelling – $36,250
- Two-Person Family – $41,400
- $46,600 for a three-person household
- $51,750 four-person household
- $55,900 for a five-person home
- $60,050 six-person household
- $74,200 seven-person household
- $82,350 for an eight-person family
Submissions can be made online at www.calcasieuparish.gov/era
For more information, call 337-721-4030.
Angela Silva, a dedicated 42-year-old consultant specializing in government housing and rental assistance, hails from Sydney, Australia. She completed her education with a degree in Urban Planning from the University of New South Wales. Angela’s career has been marked by her relentless advocacy for affordable housing solutions, where she has worked extensively with both local governments and international agencies in Asia-Pacific regions. Her initiatives have led to the development of sustainable housing projects that cater to low-income families. Outside of her professional environment, Angela enjoys a peaceful life with her partner and their two adopted dogs, engaging in community gardening and urban sustainability projects.