County Continues to Offer Rental Relief to Help Combat COVID-Related Homelessness
Applications will be accepted until the funds are depleted.
SOMERVILLE, NJ – Rental-relief funding is available to eligible Somerset County residents who have lost their income due to the pandemic and need help making their monthly rent payments. The Emergency Rental Relief Program helps eligible families stay in their homes, and landlords can reduce vacancies and the expenses associated with finding new tenants.
“According to the Census, more than 317,000 New Jersey residents are behind in their housing payments due to the pandemic,” said Somerset County Commissioner Director Shanel Robinson. “We are committed to working with renters and landlords to help prevent homelessness and maintain a stable rental market during this economic crisis.”
Funding is available through the Emergency Rental Relief Program (ERRP), which was established in 2020 through a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and federal and state assistance. The majority of ERRP money will be paid directly to landlords, and some funding will be used to help families through the ERRP application process, as well as provide legal representation for residents who are currently in landlord/tenant court.
Eligibility Requirements
Only tenants who can demonstrate that their rent was current as of March 2020 are eligible for this program. Eligible applicants will receive the lesser of three months’ rent or $3,000, to help offset owed rent. Funds will be paid directly to landlords through a partnership with Somerset County Social Services. There is no application deadline, and applications will be accepted until the funding is exhausted.
Applicants must:
- Be a resident of any Somerset County municipality (except Franklin Township) and have a current lease or rent agreement.
- Have a household income that is less than the following income limits, based on household size including children:
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1 Person - $66,900
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2 People - $76,500
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3 People - $86,100
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4 People - $95,600
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5 People - $103,200
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6 People - $110,900
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- Demonstrate rent payments were current as of March 2020.
- Provide documentation of COVID-related loss of income after March 9, 2020.Examples include:
- Layoff or reduced work hours
- Unpaid leave to take care of children due to school and daycare closure
- Self-quarantine for 14 days resulting in a loss of income
- Another consequence of the virus led to a reduction of income
To receive assistance, applicants must complete an application and submit the required documentation. For your convenience, there are three different ways to apply.
The ERRP is funded by a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and allocated $529,109 that was granted by the 2020 Federal CARES Act. Monies are available to the majority of eligible Somerset County residents. Other CDBG funding was allocated to Franklin Township and, therefore, Franklin Township residents are not eligible for ERRP assistance.
To learn more about Somerset County’s Community Development Office, please visit https://www.co.somerset.nj.us/government/human-services/community-development.
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