Maryland – Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP)
Rental Help for People in Difficult Circumstances Program
Have you noticed a change in your ability to pay rent as a result of COVID-19? It’s possible that you could get assistance with either your current payments or the overdue ones.
The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development will disburse federal emergency rental funding in one of two ways: either directly to local jurisdictions through the Maryland Eviction Partnership Program to support local rental assistance efforts or to property management on behalf of tenants residing in affordable rental properties that received federal or state financing through the Assisted Housing Relief Program. Both of these programs were created by the federal government to help alleviate the effects of the recent housing crisis.
A Helping Hand for Those in Need of Housing
Tenants in multifamily rental communities in Maryland who have received state or federal support from the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development are eligible to participate in the Assisted Housing Relief Program. Tenants can participate in this initiative. To be eligible for the program, a tenant must live in one of the communities listed in: Assisted Housing Relief Program Eligible Properties Search.
Renters who believe they meet the requirements for the program can get in touch with the property management company. The company that manages properties will solicit applications from prospective tenants, consolidate them into a single document, and then send it to the government as a single program application for the property. It is required that the application be submitted through the Application Portal by the property manager.
Each home is obliged to provide the following information:
- A rent ledger for each household must be turned in to demonstrate the existence of rental arrears.
- Furthermore, the following documents must be obtained, kept on file for at least five (5) years, and made available for inspection by DHCD for compliance monitoring within three (3) business days of the day the request was made:
- A valid and current lease that identifies the primary tenant as the leaseholder as well as the number of occupants in the home;
- Paystubs, W-2s, other wage statements, tax filings, bank records confirming regular income, employer attestation, self-attestations, and other similar documents are the components that make up income verification.
- Tenant Registration
- Worksheet Intended for Renters
A Portal for Housing Assistance Program Applications
Providing Assistance to Applicants for Housing Documents:
- Worksheet for tenants (most recent revision: 11/29/21)
- Certification of Tenant (Updated on November 29th, 211)
- Updated on November 29, 2011: A Letter to a Tenant
- Residents of Multi-Unit Housing Should Be Warned:
- 5/4/21 Update on the Supportive Housing Assistance Program
- 5/17/21 Update on the Supportive Housing Assistance Program
- Self-Certification Guidance, an Important Update for the Assisted Housing Relief Program 7/1/21
- 7/23/21 Assisted Housing Relief Program Update and Frequently Asked Questions
- Updating the Supported Housing Assistance Program: Copying Tenants, Viewing Individual Tenant Details, and Other Important Reminders 8/12/21
- Update on the Supportive Housing Assistance Program: Requests Received by the End of the Calendar Year on 1/4/22
- User Guide for the AHRP Web Portal
- AHRP Tenants Flyer
- The Emergency Rental Assistance Program’s Social Media Resource Guide
Assistance Prioritization
Legislation passed by the US Treasury, the state of Maryland is obligated to give priority in ERAP funding to the following two groups:
- HUD considers low-income households to be those having an annual income that is equal to or less than half of the area’s median income (AMI).
- Households in which one or more members are unemployed at the time of the ERAP application AND who have not worked in the preceding three months are eligible for the program.
Local government initiatives in Maryland that receive ERAP financing from the state must first process and approve applications for assistance from these two types of groups. When all applications from priority groups have been assessed and accepted, the programs will begin assessing and approving applications from other eligible households.
Tenants in properties that provide income-based housing and/or have a high proportion of tenants with incomes less than 50% of the area median income (AMI) receive priority help through bulk tenant rent relief programs funded by ERAP monies made available by the State of Maryland. Among the characteristics are:
- Complexes d’habitation qui ont bénéficié de l’aide du DHCD (such as low-income housing tax credit properties)
- Programs run by public housing authorities, such as Public Housing, Housing Choice Vouchers/Section 8, and so on
- Properties classified as multifamily housing Class C and D that are located in census tracts are identified by the Urban Institute as having a significant demand for rental assistance. Families with lower incomes sometimes reside in properties classified as Class C and Class D.
Need support?
Dial 877-546-5595 to reach the Maryland Emergency Rental Assistance Call Center.
Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 7 PM
Saturday hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.