Emergency Rental Assistance Program
What is the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP)?
The Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) offers relief to landlords on behalf of renters and tenants experiencing financial difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This project is being supported, in whole or in part, by federal award number ERA0202 awarded to Prince George’s County, MD Government by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
Funds Distributed as of April 26, 2024: $112.4 Million
Households Assisted as of April 26, 2024: 11,305
If you speak Spanish/Si habla español:
Traducción disponible haciendo clic en la ventana emergente Habilitar Google Translate en la parte inferior de la pantalla de la computadora.
Begin a New Application
Check on the Status of an Existing Appliction
Check the Status of an Existing Application
DHCD has updated its Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) policies for tenants and landlords.
Effective May 1, 2024
The Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) will again limit access to the ERAP application portal to those tenant households with an active court-filed eviction. Subsequently, DHCD will continue its focus on reviewing and processing remaining applications to ensure that it has the funding needed for the open/pending applications that still need to be processed for payment while also targeting those tenant households at immediate risk of housing instability.
Tenant households with active court-filed eviction cases and in possession of a court summons, court judgment, or warrant of restitution will still be able to apply for ERAP by clicking on the Begin a New Application link above to apply and submit a copy of your court summons, judgment, or warrant of restitution.
For additional questions, tenant households should call the ERAP Call Center on (301) 883-6504, option 9. The ERAP Call Center customer service representative will instruct the tenant on next steps. ERAP tenant households applying for ERAP assistance must read and listen to all instructions prior to completing the ERAP application. DHCD will screen applications received and those without the required court-filed eviction documentation will not be reviewed.
Working with our community service providers, DHCD will ensure that the remaining ERAP funds will be used to assist tenant households with eligible pending applications submitted prior to May 1, 2024, and those facing active court-ordered evictions. Low-income households at or below 50% of the area median income (AMI) facing eviction will continue to be prioritized. Applicants will be contacted by their assigned reviewers to finalize all necessary information needed for reviewing an ERAP application.
The submission of an ERAP application does not guarantee approval for ERAP assistance. Along with their application, tenant households at or below 30% AMI must submit at least a court summons. Tenant households at or between 31% to 80% AMI, must submit at least a court judgment.
All applications are carefully reviewed, validated, and subject to federal eligibility requirements. ERAP applications are also subject to the availability of funding at the time of processing.
If you need assistance with completing and submitting your application, contact Housing Initiative Partnership (HIP), a non-profit housing counseling agency that can assist you free of charge. HIP can be reached on (301) 699-3835 or visit HIP’s website at hiphomes.org
The ERAP Call Center can respond to questions. Call 301-883-6504 and press option 9.
What Can ERAP Cover?
- Past due rent beginning April 1, 2020, up to 18 months
- Past due utility and home energy bill payments, beginning April 1, 2020, up to 18 months
If the tenant applies directly for funding because their landlord will not apply on their behalf, eligible tenants can receive up to 18 months of rental assistance and/or utility payments.
What Are the Eligibility Requirements?
To be eligible for assistance, a household must be obligated to pay rent on a residential unit and that:
- One or more individuals within the household have qualified for unemployment benefits or experienced a reduction in household income, incurred significant costs, or experienced other financial hardship during or due, directly or indirectly, to the COVID-19 outbreak.
- One or more individuals within the household can demonstrate a risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability; and
- The household has a household income at or below 80% of the area median income (AMI). Households with income at or below 50 percent of the AMI or those who are unemployed and have been unemployed for 90 days are prioritized for assistance.
Additionally:
- Must reside in a rental property located in Prince George’s County.
Who Qualifies?
Facing Eviction?
If you are facing eviction due to delinquent rent and you have a court summons, court judgment, Warrant of Restitution, or Warrant for Possession, you may be eligible to apply for the Prince George’s County Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP). All U.S. Treasury requirements for ERAP eligibility applies.
If all ERAP eligibility requirements are met, ERAP may be able to pay up to 18 months of rental arrearages. Note that if a tenant, or a member of your household, has received prior ERAP assistance, whether through the County or other organization, provision of ERAP assistance cannot exceed a combined total of 18 months.
Evicted Already? If you and/or your household have been displaced through an eviction, you may be eligible to apply for ERAP assistance. If all ERAP eligibility requirements are met, ERAP may be able to provide funding to help you relocate to a new home with security deposit assistance and up to the first three months of rent.
Please attend all court hearings in Landlord-Tenant Court. Submitting an application or court document to ERAP does not excuse you from attending your court hearing.
Income Eligibility
Any tenant having difficulty paying rent whose income is below 80% of the Area Median Income
At or Below 50% AMI
If your income is at or below 50% of the Area Median Income (AMI), you are required to submit at least a court summons. You may go directly to the ERAP Application Portal to apply.
At or Between 51% to 80% AMI
If your income is at or between 51% - 80% of the AMI, you must submit an eviction court document. To be eligible to apply for emergency assistance if your income is at or between 51% - 80% AMI: The renter must be scheduled by the Sheriff for eviction, or there must be an active Warrant for Possession that would allow the Sheriff to evict, or renter received a court summons or court judgement.
View the Area Median Income (AMI) Table.
Please note that DHCD will review and validate all household income information. Any attempts to withhold household income will delay the review of your ERAP tenant application.
If applicable, please only upload your most recent eviction document as any other document or blank pages will cause a delay in the review of your ERAP tenant application.
Applications
Who Can Apply?
- Property owners, landlords, or property managers. The property must be occupied by tenants meeting the requirements for tenant eligibility.
- Tenants whose landlords will not apply for funding on the tenants' behalf
- Tenants applying for utility assistance only
Tenants and Landlords
Get more information about the Tenant application process.
Get more information about the Landlord application process.
Can Someone Help Me with the Application?
Contact Us
By Phone: For assistance, call the ERAP Call Center at (301) 883-6504, then press 9, and a customer service representative will help you with your application.
By Email: Email ERAP@co.pg.md.us
Partnerships
The Prince George's County Department of Housing and Community Development has partnered with several community non-profit organizations to assist county landlords and tenants with completing the application and uploading it into the proper online portal.
Submitting a Successful Application
In addition to the assistance from the community non-profit organizations above, you can also review this presentation entitled: How to Submit a Successful Application to learn about the forms and information DHCD needs to process your application for emergency rental assistance and utility assistance.
Prioritization Criteria and Methodology
DHCD will prioritize applications based on household incomes and on areas of greatest vulnerability within the County by considering the following factors:
- Housing Stress - Rent burden: 50% of income, Overcrowded: 1.5 people per room
- Social Factors - African-American and Latino population, population below poverty, number of single-parent households (HH)
- Pandemic Effect - Confirmed COVID-19 cases, employment in fields with layoff risk
View County map of prioritization areas and priority census tract: ERAP Census Tract
Notice
Sign Language for the hearing impaired and interpretive services can be made available. To request these services, contact Adedamola George, Compliance Officer at (301) 883-5576 or TTY (301) 883-5428.
Prince George’s County affirmatively promotes equal opportunity and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, ethnic or national origin, disability, or familial status in admission or access to benefits in programs or activities.