The relief is aimed at those who lost their jobs during the months of the pandemic.
Photo: ARCHIVO / Impremedia
–
NY.- New Yorkers who are having difficulty paying their rent due to the collateral effects of the pandemic of COVID-19, they have a new opportunity to receive assistance.
The New York State Division of Home and Community Renovation (HCR) The COVID Rental Assistance Program reopened and will accept new applications until Monday, February 1, 2021.
Through a statement, HCR explained that the program’s eligibility criteria have been expanded to provide rental relief to more New Yorkers. First of all, people who applied during the previous application period and were denied do not need to submit a new application.
These requests are being reviewed again. Requests from people who have not yet received a response from HCR are being reviewed under the new criteria, it was reported.
If approved, applicants will receive a subsidy for the difference between the home rental charge as of March 1, 2020 and the home rental charge in the months of April, May, June and July 2020.
The HCR notes that the subsidy is a one-time payment available for up to four months of rent, up to 125% of the Fair Market Rents (FMR) that are paid in the area of that home. Additionally, HCR will send payments directly to the applicant’s landlord.
Eligibility requirements
To qualify, applicants must meet all eligibility requirements:
- You must be a tenant with a primary residence in New York State.
- Before March 7, 2020 and at the time of application, your household income (including unemployment benefits) must have been below 80% of the area median income, adjusted for household size, that is, the number of members that make up the family.
- Households must be “overburdened by rent” during the months in which they apply for assistance between April 1 and July 31, 2020. A household is overburdened by rent if it pays more than 30% of its income for the costs of living place.
- You must have lost income during the period from April 1, 2020 to July 31, 2020.
Detailed information about the program, including the eligibility criteria, the application process, the documents that will be requested as part of the application process, and answers to frequently asked questions are available on the HCR website.
In addition, HCR operates a special helpline to answer questions and assist with the application process. For assistance, applicants can contact HCR’s COVID Rental Assistance Extended Program Call Center at 1-833-499-0318 or [email protected]. Call Center representatives are available Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm.
If you are elected to receive a rental subsidy through this program, New York State will cover the difference between your home rental burden on March 1, 2020 and the increased rental burden on your home during the period your household is requesting assistance.
Households can apply for up to four months of assistance for the months of April 2020 through July 2020. Renters do not have to be behind in their rent to receive assistance. Tenants who are up-to-date on their rent payments may have funds applied for a credit for future months. The rental subsidy payment will go directly to your landlord.
Where to find assistance
Apply online today or visit NYS Homes and Community Renewal for more information. https://hcr.ny.gov/
– .
