Bethlehem, PA – Department of Human Services (DHS) Acting Secretary Meg Snead today joined Sue Wandalowski and Robyn Barbosa from Northampton County’s Department of Human Services to urge Pennsylvanians at risk of eviction or utility shutoffs because of COVID-19 to apply for assistance available through the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP). ERAP can help people who are facing eviction pay past due and upcoming rent or pay utility bills or other costs necessary to help them be safely housed.

Earlier this month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced an eviction moratorium through October 3, 2021, in counties experiencing substantial and high levels of community transmission of COVID-19. Pennsylvanians experiencing housing instability or at risk of eviction should begin their ERAP application as soon as possible and not wait until the eviction moratorium ends.

“ERAP is an unprecedented investment in stability, wellbeing, and economic recovery for tenants, landlords, and utility providers as well as entire communities across the commonwealth. Evictions and housing insecurity will affect our economic recovery, our workforce, our schools, and all parts of our society. ERAP makes evictions preventable, and they should be an absolute last resort,” said Acting Secretary Snead. “For nearly 18 months, Pennsylvania and the nation have endured the instability, anxiety, and dangers of a global pandemic. Eviction bans were established to help people stay safely housed if they were unable to pay rent due to lost jobs or reduced hours connected to COVID. But because the eviction moratorium is time-limited, it is critical that people take advantage of help available to protect themselves and apply for ERAP now.”

Households may be eligible for up to 18 months of assistance to cover past-due or future rental and/or utility payments. The amount of a household’s monthly rent or utility bills does not preclude eligibility, but the amount of ERAP assistance provided to a household is determined by program administrators at the county level. Assistance can be provided to a tenant for future rental payments, and for unpaid rental or utility arrears that were accrued on or after March 13, 2020 on a residential rental property. Counties may choose to provide additional assistance to eligible households if funds remain available.

Either tenants or landlords can apply for this assistance, but a tenant does not need a landlord’s permission to apply and use this assistance. This program is an opportunity to help ease circumstances for both parties, so landlords and tenants are strongly encouraged to work cooperatively to secure this stabilizing assistance. ERAP is overseen by DHS at the state level but administered locally by county and municipal partners. Pennsylvanians can learn how to apply in their county of residence online at www.dhs.pa.gov/ERAP.

To qualify for assistance, a household must be responsible to pay rent on a residential property and meet each of the following criteria:

• One or more people within the household has qualified for unemployment benefits, had a decrease in income, had increased household costs, or experienced other financial hardship during or due directly or indirectly to the COVID-19 pandemic; AND
• One or more individuals in the household can show a risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability; AND
• The household has an income at or below 80 percent of area median income, which varies by county. Income limits by county are available on the DHS website. Resources (like bank accounts and cars) are not relevant to ERAP eligibility.

Applicants will need to provide the following information: head of household’s personal information; income information for all household members 18 and older; rental lease and amount owed; landlord’s name and contact information. If applying for utility assistance, applicants must provide utility expenses and utility provider information.

The Wolf Administration established the ERAP in partnership with the General Assembly through Act 1 of 2021 to distribute $569 million to Pennsylvania households through partnerships with local leaders. An additional $278 million in rental assistance was directly allocated to Pennsylvania’s largest counties by the federal government, making a total of $847 million available to support renters and landlords feeling the strain of this economic insecurity across Pennsylvania. Counties are reporting data on the Act 1 distribution of funds monthly to DHS that are available online here. Counties and localities that received a direct allocation report on this funding to the United States Treasury, which is reporting data here. In total, $133 million has been distributed to more than 30,500 households in Pennsylvania as of June 30, 2021.

Funding for ERAP comes from the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, and further rental assistance funds included in the American Rescue Plan Act were appropriated in Act 24 of 2021 signed earlier this month by Governor Wolf. These resources will be available to support renters soon.

For more information on ERAP, promotional materials, state allocation program data, and to learn how to apply, visit www.dhs.pa.gov/erap.