Miami-Dade County has announced it will pause countywide after serving thousands of families through the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP). Any applications already submitted through the online system will be reviewed and considered for assistance.
Since its launch, the Miami-Dade County Emergency Rental Assistance Program has committed $148 million in direct emergency rental assistance and helped more than 22,000 families avoid involuntary displacement, which makes the county one of the most successful federally funded emergency rental assistance programs in the nation.
In a statement the county said emergency rental assistance programs throughout the United States have paused accepting new applications when the demand exceeded available resources. Both the State of Florida and City of Miami, when faced with limited emergency rental assistance resources temporarily paused or closed their application portals. As of January 19, 2023, the City of Miami’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program is no longer accepting new applications due to the heavy caseload.
Miami-Dade County has submitted an application to U.S. Treasury requesting an additional $35 million. If awarded, ERAP will resume accepting applications.
Residents seeking housing assistance may contact the Miami-Dade County Office of Housing Advocacy through the Housing Advocacy Hotline at 786-469-4545 or by emailing housingadvocacy@miamidade.gov
Last year Miami-Dade expanded its Emergency Rental Assistance Program to include residents earning up to 140% of the area median income (AMI). A single person earning less than $95,620, couples making less than $109,200, families of three earning less than $122,920, and families of four earning less than $136,500 qualified for rental assistance.
ERAP can help renters with issues such as past due rent, utility payments, some relocation assistance, and increases in rent of up to 30 percent for three months.
