Program for City of New Orleans Rental Assistance (COVID-19)
Currently, the City has funds for approximately 1,500 homes, but it is processing applications for 3,500 more in anticipation of further funding. As funds become available, completed packages will receive funding.
The date of February 15, 2021, will mark the beginning of the open application period.
As a result of the COVID-19 epidemic, the Emergency Rental Assistance program of the United States Treasury made $25 billion available to help people who were unable to pay their rent or their utilities. The United States Treasury Department provided the City of New Orleans with $11.6 million for rental assistance in Orleans Parish. The State of Louisiana is expected to contribute approximately $14 million toward this cause.
Eligibility
Any rental assistance provided to a qualifying household shall not be in addition to or redundant with any other federally supported rental assistance provided to the household.
The households listed below are eligible to apply for aid under the New Orleans Emergency Rental Assistance Program (NOERAP), which will begin accepting applications on February 15, 2021:
- Those households with an annual income that is equal to or less than sixty percent of the area median income (AMI), which is around $42,000 for a family of four.
- Households that have suffered a reduction in household income, significant costs, or other forms of financial strain as a direct result of the COVID-19 outbreak.
- Households that are in imminent danger of losing their homes or are currently dealing with housing instability.
Prior to making payment, supporting paperwork will be required.
Please keep the following in mind if you are a landlord:
- If a landlord accepts these monies, they will be restricted from evicting renters for any reason (unless when there is good cause) for 180 days (the first 90 days will only be for evicting tenants for engaging in illegal activity). This includes the failure to renew month-to-month leases. The word “good cause” relates to something done or failed to be done by the tenant, and it may include additional lease violations, criminal behavior, property destruction, and behaviors that endanger the health, safety, or peaceful possession of others. The fact that the “owner wants possession” at the end of the lease period does not qualify as “good cause,” according to this law.
Assistance Is Available
Households that qualify can receive rental assistance for up to a year. Payments will be sent directly to landlords, and the maximum they can receive is the Fair Market Rent (FMR), which excludes fees and court costs. The FMR established by HUD for New Orleans is given below. Payments may be sent directly to tenants in specific situations. The Housing Authority of New Orleans (HANO) allows payments to exceed the FMR in select zip codes up to 110 percent of the FMR.
| Efficiency | One-Bedroom | Two-Bedroom | Three-Bedroom | Four-Bedroom |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $779 | $908 | $1,078 | $1,396 | $1597 |
The Application Procedure
You can apply for rent assistance using this website, by hand-delivering the application, or by mailing it. The applications offer detailed information on how to contact us. Both the tenant and the landlord must fill out an application.
Apply online: Tenant Application
Apply in person: