(FREEHOLD, NJ) -- The Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners have announced important changes to the emergency rental assistance program, “Monmouth County ERAP.” The changes include raising the total maximum amount of funds that applicants are eligible to receive and reimbursement for costs associated with temporary hotel or motel stays for families who are not income-eligible for traditional emergency housing programs.

The purpose of the Monmouth County ERAP is to prevent evictions and homelessness by providing rental assistance for eligible households in Monmouth County making less than 80% of area median income (AMI) in accordance with the federal program guidelines.  

“The Monmouth County ERAP will now allow eligible households to receive up to $30,000 for rental costs incurred on or after March 13, 2020. The Monmouth County ERAP applications 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,” said Commissioner Director Thomas A. Arnone. “Funding is now available for reimbursement of costs associated with temporary hotel or motel stays for families who are not income-eligible for the traditional emergency housing programs but fall below the 80 percent AMI.”

The increase in the total maximum amount of funds from $15,000 per eligible household to $30,000 per eligible household is in response to the number of ERAP applications received by the County to date requesting additional financial assistance. It is important to note that any prior application that exceeded the $15,000 limit will be automatically re-evaluated by the County to determine eligibility for additional funding under the new $30,000 threshold.

“The County is working, in partnership, with 11 community-based agencies and organizations that are active members of Monmouth ACTS to help identify potential applicants for the Monmouth County ERAP and assist them with the application process,” said Commissioner Deputy Director Susan M. Kiley. “A list of Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) can be found on the Monmouth County ERAP web portal and we are thankful to them for their assistance with this program.” 

Tenant eligibility requirements include:

* Must reside in the rental unit located in Monmouth County, NJ 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.

 

Landlord eligibility requirements include:

* The rental property in question must be located in Monmouth County, NJ.

* The Landlord must be either the owner of record in accordance with property tax records, business interest or authorized managing agent.

 

The County has received direct funding in the amount of $38,410,914.20 from the United States Department of Treasury under the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (“ERAP 1”, “ERAP 2” and “ERAP 2 High Need”).

For more information, visit www.monmouthcountyerap.com or call (848) 801-1297 between 8:00am and 6:00pm Monday through Friday or 8:00 am and 1:00 pm on Saturday.