Westchester Insider: Westchester County Legislator Catherine Parker: Governor Cuomo Announces Streamlined Application Process for Rent Relief Program.

 

Governor Cuomo Announces Streamlined Application Process for Rent Relief Program.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced a new streamlined application process for New York's rent relief program to help eliminate potential barriers for eligible New Yorkers to receive funding. The new process immediately relaxes documentation standards for both tenants and landlords and implements a streamlined process for submission of arrears documentation for multi-tenant landlords effective Tuesday, July 27. 

New York State's rental assistance program makes up to $2.7 billion in emergency rental assistance available for struggling New Yorkers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The program assists households behind on their rent and that have experienced financial hardship, that are at risk of homelessness or housing instability and that earn at or below 80 percent of area median income. Administered by the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, the New York State Emergency Rental Assistance Program provides assistance with up to 12 months of past-due rent, 3 months of prospective rental assistance and 12 months of utility arrears payments to eligible New Yorkers, regardless of immigration status. The program is expected to serve between 170,000 and 200,000 households.

Seven communities that received funding for emergency rental assistance directly from the federal government opted to administer their own programs. Residents of the City of Rochester and Monroe County, the City of Yonkers, Onondaga County and the towns of Hempstead, Islip and Oyster Bay must apply with their local programs for emergency rental assistance and are ineligible for assistance from the state-administered Emergency Rental Assistance Program.