The Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners has announced that an emergency rental assistance program, Monmouth County ERAP, is accepting applications.
The purpose of the program is to prevent evictions and homelessness by providing rental assistance for eligible households in Monmouth County making less than 80% of area median income in accordance with the federal program guidelines, according to a press release from the county.
“The Monmouth County ERAP will allow eligible households to receive up to $15,000 for rental costs incurred on or after March 13, 2020,” Commissioner Director Thomas A. Arnone said.
“These costs can include rental arrears, prospective rent up to three months to prevent homelessness or housing instability, and household-related expenses such as relocation fees, late fees associated with rental payments and security deposits.
“It is important for tenants and landlords to work together on the applications in order to receive the relief funds as quickly as possible,” Arnone said.
Tenant eligibility requirements include:
• Must reside in the rental unit in Monmouth County as their primary residence;
• Must have experienced a loss of household income, incurred a significant cost or is facing a financial hardship due directly to COVID-19;
• Must meet program income eligibility requirements;
• One or more individuals within the tenant’s household can demonstrate a risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability such as past due rent, utility shut-off notice, eviction notice or threat of eviction.
Landlord eligibility requirements include:
• The rental property in question must be in Monmouth County;
• The landlord must be either the owner of record in accordance with property tax records, business interest or authorized managing agent.
According to the press release, the county has received direct funding in the amount of $18.46 million from the U.S. Department of Treasury under the Emergency Rental Assistance Program.
For more information, visit www.monmouthcountyerap.com or call 848-801-1297 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, or 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday.