The City of Miami Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERA) is accepting applications until April 30, 2021
The Miami City Commission created the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERA) to provide financial relief to eligible renters within Miami city limits. This is a $14.1 million program being funded by the U.S. Department of the Treasury for those that are struggling financially due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Applicants that qualify for the program will receive up to twelve months of assistance that may include rental arrears, utility assistance (power, water and sewer, gas, Internet), and/or three months of prospective rent, capped at a maximum of $2,000 a month per household and not to exceed $24,000 total. Recipients may also get funds for other expenses related to housing, on a case by case basis. These may pertain to relocation expenses and rental fees of temporarily/permanently displaced households, reasonable accrued late fees, and others approved by the U.S. Treasury.
To apply, renters must:
- Live within Miami city limits
- Have an adult member (age 18 and up) in the house that qualified for unemployment benefits or experienced a reduction in income, incurred significant costs, or experienced a financial hardship due to COVID-19
- Have an adult member in the house that demonstrates a risk of being homelessness or experience housing instability
- Has a gross household income (2020) that does not exceed 80 percent of the annual area median income (AMI). Priority will be given to households below 50 percent of the area median income or to households that include an individual who has been unemployed for 90 days or more prior to the application for assistance.
Eligible renters can apply through the online portal, where they must submit all required documents. These include a copy of a current, executed rental lease, proof of income for all members of the household, photo ID for all adult members of the household, copies of utility bills if seeking this assistance, etc. Additional documents may be asked depending on the case.
Landlords who want to apply on behalf of tenants can submit a landlord referral form, but the tenant will still need to provide the necessary documents. Applications will be available for downloading and printing and can be completed for submission, along with all copies of required documentation. If you would like a paper application, those can be picked up at certain City locations posted online.
Incomplete submissions or failure to provide documentation will result in the application not being processed. The assistance payments received will be made directly to the landlord and utility companies.
The last day to submit applications is Friday, April 30, 2021. They will be processed on a first-come, first-serve basis depending on financial availability.
Find out more and get the latest updates on the ERA program. To speak to someone, residents can call 305-330-1508.
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