Online COVID 19 Rental Counseling (New Jersey Only)

Murphy Administration Announces Second Phase of Rental Assistance Program for New Jersey Residents Impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic Program Devotes Approximately $353 Million to Help Low- to Moderate-Income Households, Including the Homeless 

March 16, 2021 

TRENTON, NJ – Recognizing that New Jersey residents continue to need rental assistance during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Murphy Administration today announced that the application period for a second phase of the COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program will open on March 22, 2021. The federally-funded program will provide approximately $353 million in rental assistance to low- and moderate-income households that have had a substantial reduction in income as a result of the pandemic, including those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. 

“The COVID-19 pandemic has created challenges for many New Jersey residents, but we are committed to ensuring housing security for as many people as possible during this unpreceded time,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “The Emergency Rental Assistance Program will provide help with rent for low- and moderate-income households where income has been impacted by the pandemic.” 

“This pandemic has created a crisis for so many of our fellow New Jerseyans who are struggling to pay their rent because they’ve lost jobs or aren’t bringing home as much money as they once did. Governor Murphy and I urge people in this situation to quickly apply to the COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program Phase II,” said Lt. Governor Sheila Y. Oliver, who serves as Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA). “We’ve been in these difficult times for more than a year as a nation and state and we want to help as many people as possible pay their rent, including assisting with overdue rent, to promote housing stability and prevent homelessness.” 

More than 15,000 households benefitted from the first phase of the COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program that was launched in July 2020 in response to the pandemic. The Administration was able to help 7,000 more households than originally anticipated with the $91.75 million allocated in the program’s first phase. 

Applicants for the COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program Phase II (CVERAP Phase II) may be eligible for up to 12 months of rental assistance to help pay for rent arrears incurred after March 13, 2020, and future rent to the extent that funds are available. Households that already received assistance in Phase I of the program but need additional rent support and have not yet received the maximum 12 months of emergency rental assistance (including CVERAP Phase I) can apply for additional funding. 

Every three months, the applicant’s household income and COVID-19 impact will be reviewed to determine if assistance is still needed and then recertified. If deemed eligible, applicants may only receive a maximum of three months of assistance at each recertification for future rent payments. Assistance that is no longer required will be used to serve additional families. 

The application period will remain open until an adequate number of applications have been received to distribute the approximately $353 million allocated to the program. A notice will be published to inform the public in advance when the application period will close. Participants will be selected from the overall pool of applicants through a randomized process based on eligibility and lottery criteria. 

An applicant may qualify for the assistance based on the following requirements: 

•          Is a New Jersey resident 18 years of age or older; 

•          Qualifies for unemployment or has experienced a reduction in household income, incurred significant costs, or experienced a financial hardship due, directly or indirectly, to the COVID-19 pandemic; 

•          Demonstrates a risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability; and 

•          Has a household income at or below 80 percent of the area median income. Maximum income limits can be found online at https://www.nj.gov/dca/divisions/dhcr/offices/cverap.html. 

As part of the landlord contract, DCA will encourage landlords to agree to a reasonable payment plan for any rent arrears not covered by the rental assistance and commit to not filing for eviction for non-payment of rent during the term of the assistance. 

Also, property managers or owners of a residential dwelling may apply for assistance on behalf of a tenant. The landlord must: 

•          Obtain the signature of the tenant on the application, which may be documented electronically; and 

•          Must provide documentation of the application to the tenant to notify the tenant that the application has been submitted. 

DCA will provide the centralized application intake, eligibility review, and payment of assistance, which will be made directly to participants’ landlords. DCA has authorized Nan McKay & Associates to help administer the program and to communicate with applicants and landlords. 

CVERAP Phase II applications can be submitted online starting at 9 a.m. on March 22 with the use of a personal computer, laptop, smartphone, or tablet at https://njdca.onlinepha.com. 

DCA will extend reasonable accommodations on a case-by-case basis to disabled individuals and people who have limited English proficiency. The Department will take into consideration the disability and the needs of households without internet access. Applicants seeking accommodations may contact DCA’s Applicant Services at (609) 490-4550 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week during the open enrollment period. 

Submission of a CVERAP Phase II application does not guarantee placement in the program. Only one CVERAP Phase II application per household will be accepted. Duplicate CVERAP Phase II applications will be rejected. 

Additional information about the program can be found online at https://www.nj.gov/dca/cverap2.shtml on the DCA website. 

The program will also help provide households that are very low income and homeless with six months of future rent. Additionally, it will assist in paying for security deposits and case management for homeless households to help them bridge to more sustainable support by the end of the six months of rental assistance. These households will be selected by DCA through the Coordinated Entry process in each county’s Homeless Management Information System. 

For more information about DCA, visit https://nj.gov/dca/ or follow the Department on social media: 

Arm In Arm staff will be available to intake clients remotely via phone Mondays through Thursdays from 9 am – 3:30 pm. Please call  Lisa at (609) 396-9366, ext. 16  or 609-577-9054. You might be prompted to leave a message. Please provide your full name, complete address (including city), and best number for us to return your call. Staff will contact you for an eligibility pre-screening.

Am I eligible?

• Hamilton Township resident
• Market rate housing for back rent assistance
• At least one household member must have legal US status
• Current annualized household income at or below 80% of Area Median Income (AMI) for Mercer County
• 2020 Area Median Income guideline – maximum amounts one can earn to qualify for this program

Household Size       Income Limits

1.                            $54.950
2.                            $62,800
3.                            $70,650
4.                            $78,500
5.                            $84,800
6.                            $91,100
7.                           $97,350
8.                         $103,650

• Owes back rent/mortgage caused by COVID-19 (beginning no earlier than March 1, 2020)
• Current household income puts rent/mortgage under 70% of monthly net
• Applicant does not have substantial assets to pay arrears

What You Need:

• Completed Self-Certified Application ( sent via e-mail after pre-screen eligibility  phone call)
• Identification for ALL adults in the household
• Proof of legal US status for at least one household member
• Current proof of income for all household sources ( e.g. pay stubs, unemployment insurance benefits, Social Security benefits, pension benefits, etc.)
• Lease for back rent assistance
• Current mortgage statement showing arrears, default or foreclosure for mortgage assistance
• Documentation of COVID-19 hardship

The Mercer County Department of Human Services, in conjunction with the Mercer County Board of Social Services, has launched the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) to help renter households in Mercer County that have been impacted by COVID-19. The program offers financial assistance to rental household for unpaid rent or utility bills due to the impact of COVID-19. 

Mercer County residents must document that they would have qualified for unemployment benefits, experienced a reduction in income, and suffered major costs directly or indirectly due to COVID-19 that impacted the household.

TO APPLY AND FIND MORE INFORMATION:

Visit: http://bit.ly/ERAPAPPLY

Call: (609) 389-3575 M-F 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Email: erap@mcboss.org

LANDLORDS CAN ENCOURAGE TENANTS TO APPLY at http://www.mercercounty.org/ERAP

Governor Murphy signed Executive Order # 128 which allows renters to direct that their Landlords apply the security deposit the renters own to any past due and current rent obligations as a result of the “Stay at Home” order.  This communications has to be made in writing (including email).  We have recommended language below.  

Yes you CAN direct your landlord to use your Security Deposit to pay your rent

This is NOT free money.  The tenant will be required to replenish or reestablish (pay back) the security deposit if the lease is extended, or 6 months after the emergency order is lifted.   

Further, this order does not relieve the tenant from paying for any money that the landlord would recoup from the rental deposit at the end of the lease for damages beyond the normal “wear and tear”.  

However, it will stop the late fees that the landlord is charging you when you can’t work and are waiting for unemployment.  

Suggested wording of a request to use the security deposit to pay your rent:

Dear Landlord;

NJ governor Phil Murphy signed Executive Order # 128 on April 24, 2020 allowing for the following request. I hereby request that the security deposit you are holding on my behalf which is governed by the provisions of N.J.S.A. 46:8-19 et seq., as well as the interest portion of the interest and/or earnings accumulated thereon, be applied to or credited towards rent payments due or to become due from the tenant during the Public Health Emergency established in Executive Order No. 103 (2020) or up to 60 days after the Public Health Emergency terminates.

In other words, the security deposit you are holding for me should be used to pay my past due, current and any future rent until it is exhausted.

I understand that I will be required to pay back the security deposit in full in six months following the end of the Emergency or when I renew the lease.  

Please send me an accounting of the amount of funds in my rental deposit account including accrued interest, and how you are applying it to my rent.

Thank you,