New York COVID Rent Relief Program Will Pay Up to 4 Months of Your Unpaid Rent

Effective immediately, qualifying New York State residents can apply for a one shot deal to cover your rent for up to four months if you have suffered lost wages and income due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Qualifying applicants must make no more than 80% of the Area Median Income and must be able to show proof that they suffered wage losses since March 1st, 2020 and are paying more than 30% of their income towards rent.

For Bronx residents, that means if you make less than the following, you may qualify for the COVID19 Rent Relief Program:

• Under $63,700 for a 1 person household
• Under $72,800 for a 2 person household
• Under $81,900 for a 3 person household
• Under $90,950 for a 4 person household
• Under $98,250 for a 5 person household
• Under $105,550 for a 6 person household
• Under $112,800 for a 7 person household
• Under $120,100 for a 8+ person household

According to the program details, tenants receiving Section 8 vouchers do not qualify since their rental payments are capped at 30% of their income. Should there be a loss in household income and you are paying above the 30% income towards your rent then you’ll need to adjust your Section 8 rental payment.

As per the website:

Eligible households must meet the following criteria:

• Before March 1, 2020 and at the time of application, household income must have been below 80% of the area median income, adjusted for household size. You can find your county’s area median income, based on your household size: www.hcr.ny.gov/eligible-income-limits-80-ami-county
• Before March 1, 2020 and at the time of application, the household must have been 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 benefits, etc.)
• Applicants must have lost income during the period of April 1, 2020 to July 31, 2020.

To calculate eligibility and begin the application process, go here. You can also download the application forms in English, Spanish, Chinese Traditional, Russian, Haitian Creole, Korean, and Bengali.

You can also learn about the program as well as browse the frequently asked questions section here.

Applications will be accepted until July 30th,2020 so you MUST act quickly. This is not a first come first serve basis but you have to meet the criteria. Given that most Bronx household incomes are well below the above thresholds, we expect this to be a huge help to Bronx residents that are hurting during the pandemic.

As per their website, HCR has created a dedicated call center to provide residents with help Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. Call the COVID Rent Relief Program Call Center at 1-833-499-0318 or email at covidrentrelief@hcr.ny.gov