Op Ed Editorial

COMMUNITY Rent Relief

From The Desk of State Senator Brian A. Benjamin

Starting Thursday, July You must be a renter with 16, New York State primary residence in New Homes and Commu York State. The program nity Renewal (HCR) opened is open to tenants living in the application process for both rent-regulated and mar the NYS COVID Rent Re ket-rate homes. Applicants lief Program, which will do not need to have leases to provide up to $100 million be eligible. in rental assistance to tenants Before March 1, 2020, throughout the state. Appli and at the time of applica cations must be submitted tion, your household income online or by mail within two (including unemployment weeks. If submitting by mail, benefits) must have been be your submitted application low 80% of the area median must be postmarked by the income, adjusted for house deadline. hold size. You can find your

Under this program, eli county’s area median in gible households will benefit come, based on your housefrom a one-time rental subsi hold size, here: www.hcr. dy paid directly to landlords. ny.gov/eligible-income-lim Tenants are not required to its-80-ami-county. repay this assistance. Before March 1, 2020,

To qualify, applicants and at the time of applica must meet all of the eligibili tion, your household must ty requirements: have been “rent-burdened”, which is defined as paying more than 30% of gross monthly income towards rent. Gross income includes wages as well as any cash grants, child support, social security, unemployment ben efits, etc.

You must have someone in your household with U.S. citizenship or eligible immi gration status (can be a minor).

You must have lost in come during the period of April 1, 2020, to July 31, 2020.

Detailed information about the program, includ

ing eligibility criteria, the application process, the doc uments that will be requested as part of the application process, and answers to fre quently answered questions are available now on HCR’s website. Additionally, start ing this morning, HCR is operating a special helpline to answer questions and pro vide assistance with the application process.

Funds for the program are limited. Still, the application process is NOT first-come, first-serve. Residents can submit applications anytime within the two week appli cation period. In choosing recipients for this rental sub sidy, HCR will prioritize applications from tenants with the lowest incomes and high est rent burdens.

If you are chosen to receive a rental subsidy through this program, New York State will cover the dif ference between your household’s rent burden on March 1, 2020 and your house hold’s increase in rent burden during the period your household is applying for assistance. Households can apply for up to four months of assistance for the months of April 2020 through July 2020. Tenants do not have to be behind in their rent to receive assistance. Tenants who are current on their rent payments can have funds applied towards credit for future months. The rent sub sidy payment will go directly to your landlord.

Again, the application can be found here starting today, Thursday, July 16 and must be submitted in two weeks. For more information about this program, you can also email my office at help mesd30@gmail.com, or call us at 212-222-7315.

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