COVID Rent Relief Program Relief Update

COVID Rent Relief Program Relief Update Important Update: The application period for the COVID Rent Relief Program ended on Thursday, August 6, 2020. The COVID Rent Relief Program will provide eligible households with a one-time rental subsidy that will be sent directly to the household’s landlord. Applicants will not need to repay this assistance. The COVID Rent Relief Program is not first-come, first-served. Applications will be accepted throughout the two-week application period. HCR will prioritize eligible households with “greatest economic and social need” accounting for income, rent burden, percent of income lost, and risk of homelessness. The rental assistance payment will cover the difference between the household’s rent burden on March 1, 2020, and the increase in rent burden for the months the households are applying for assistance. Households can apply for up to four months in rental assistance. Eligible households must meet the following criteria:

• Before March 1, 2020 and at the time of application, household income must have been below 80% of the area median income, adjusted for household size. You can find what the 80% AMI limit for your county and household size is here: www.hcr.ny.gov/eligible-income-limits-80-ami-county
• Before March 1, 2020 and at the time of application, the household must have been paying more than 30% of gross monthly income towards rent. Gross income includes wages as well as any cash grants, child support, social security, unemployment benefits, etc.)
• Applicants have less monthly income in any month between April 2020 and July 2020 than they did prior to March 1, 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
• Go To https://hcr.ny.gov/RRP
  for more information.