Louisiana Emergency Rental Assistance Program: Are You Eligible?
Back in April 2020, the State of Louisiana received over $100 million to help residents facing eviction as a result of past due rent. The Louisiana Emergency Rental Assistance Program ERAP is available to both renters and landlords in one of the 57 parishes. For households that qualify, the program focuses on paying up to three months’ worth of future rent, for a total of 15 months, and past-due rent going back as far as April 2020. This assistance is paid directly to the landlord.
“The program is geared towards paying the landlord directly and also for the up to three months of forwarding rent under our program guidelines,” according to Gina Campo, Deputy Executive Director with the Office of Community Development.
There are certain requirements that must be met to qualify for these funds. The applicant’s income must be at or below 80% of the Area Median Income for the parish where they reside. The COVID-19 epidemic must have resulted in at least one member of the home qualifying for unemployment benefits, experiencing a decrease in household income, incurring considerable expenses, or going through other financial hardships.
According to the latest statistics, the Louisiana Emergency Rental Assistance Program has spent $102,430,755.00 and helped 20,675 renters so far. To receive assistance the renter must have “received a past due rent notice, past due utility notice, or an eviction notice or is experiencing housing instability.”
If you are facing eviction due to the financial impacts of COVID-19 the application portal is where you should start your application process. For more information on the Louisiana Emergency Rental Assistance Program, call 877.459.6555 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, or send an email to info@lastaterent.com.
Renters and landlords from the following parishes have their own programs and should search for assistance there:
