April 28, 2022 Important Update for ERAP Applicants

The 2022-23 State budget includes additional funds to support the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP). Prior to the addition of these funds, OTDA anticipated funding applications submitted through October 7, 2021. As a result of the additional funding, OTDA is processing eligible ERAP applications submitted through March 31, 2022.

Currently, applications submitted through December 31, 2021, are under active review and processing, to be followed in the coming months by applications submitted from January 1 through March 31, 2022.

This notification will be updated if additional funding is available to pay eligible applications submitted after March 31, 2022.

Specific Jurisdictions with Projected Available Funding

Certain municipalities received ERAP funds directly from the federal government and some have not fully committed these funds. As a result, resources are likely available to fund applications received beyond March 31, 2022, in the areas listed below. Therefore, tenants in these areas are encouraged to apply.

• Nassau County (not including the towns of Hempstead or Oyster Bay)
• Suffolk County (not including the towns of Babylon, Brookhaven or Islip)

Areas are expected to be removed from the above list as funds are exhausted.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Applications from subsidized housing tenants whose rent is limited to a certain percentage of income (including public housing, section 8 and FHEPS) are not currently able to be paid. State law requires that these applications be paid after all other eligible applicants have been reviewed and paid. Therefore, at this time, none of the subsidized housing applications can be paid regardless of the date their application was submitted. Residents of public housing are urged to contact their public housing authority to determine if their rent can be adjusted retroactively based on a previous change in circumstances, including a reduction in income.

This notification will be updated as additional funding is available to pay eligible applications submitted after March 31, 2022.

The following applications submitted to the ERAP portal will be denied:

• Households that have income over 120 percent of area median income
• Households that have already received 12 months of ERAP assistance for rental arrears

• Households that live in the following communities with income up to 80 percent area median income, are not participating in the New York State ERAP program.

  • City of Rochester and Monroe County
  • Town of Hempstead
  • Town of Islip
  • Town of Oyster Bay

Notification Regarding Applications for Households with Income over 80% AMI

As of Monday, February 14, 2022 at 5:00 p.m., unspent funding originally set-aside for households with income over 80 percent and up to 120 percent of area median income will be moved to support existing applications received for the Landlord Rental Assistance Program (LRAP). Due to a court order, households with income over 80 percent and up to 120 percent of area median income can still apply for state-funded emergency rental assistance, but applications received after Monday, February 14, 2022 are not expected to be funded.

Where you can receive immediate assistance

Households who need immediate assistance with help paying for rental arrears, ongoing rent, food or providing heating assistance may apply for assistance through:

• Their local department of social services office.
• For areas outside of New York City: myBenefits
• The United Way Helpline, which has access to various local services throughout the state. They can be reached by phone by dialing 211.
• New York City residents can obtain information on various local services by calling 311 or by visiting ACCESS HRA.

Tenant Protections

Please refer to these FAQ's for an explanation of the tenant protections associated with ERAP.

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