ERAP Funding Is Coming to NYCHA Families

Following NYCHA’s tireless advocacy in collaboration with its partners, including residents and elected officials, NYCHA residents are now beginning to receive their fair share of Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) funding from the State, providing critical COVID-related rental assistance to many families.

The New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) will soon begin notifying eligible NYCHA residents who applied for ERAP of the amount that they are qualified to receive, if any. While it is no longer possible to apply for ERAP funding, eligible residents who applied for ERAP and have yet to hear from OTDA should hear from them soon. NYCHA will also be notifying residents directly if and when funding is applied to their accounts.

OTDA is providing the actual ERAP funding directly to NYCHA. NYCHA is then crediting the recipient’s account, meaning that the household’s arrears will be lowered by the amount of ERAP funding that the household is receiving. While NYCHA will credit ERAP recipients’ accounts as quickly as possible, the Authority cannot credit any accounts until the ERAP funding is received from OTDA (so it may take a few months for the credit to appear on rent statements).

In November, Governor Kathy Hochul, Mayor Eric Adams, NYCHA CEO Lisa Bova-Hiatt, residents and members of the Citywide Council of Presidents (including CCOP Chair Daniel Barber), and other partners gathered at Wald Houses in Manhattan to applaud this important achievement for NYCHA families.

“I grew up on the verge of homelessness, so I know how important affordable housing is to New Yorkers,” said Mayor Adams. “When COVID first put our economy in free fall, and businesses were shutting down and laying people off, NYCHA residents were effectively excluded from emergency rental assistance available to other New Yorkers. For months, our administration partnered with residents and elected officials to advocate for the support they needed, and I’m proud that we are delivering for them…I want to thank Governor Hochul, our partners in the Senate and Assembly, and everyone in our administration who figured out how to get this done and fast-track it so that we can get support to those who need it as quickly as possible. The investments we are making today through the Emergency Rental Assistance Program are not just the right thing to do, but the smart thing to do – because investing in New Yorkers today will pay dividends tomorrow.” 

“Tenants who live in public or subsidized housing deserve safe, livable, and affordable homes,” said Governor Hochul. “I’m committed to working with NYCHA to ensure every eligible tenant gets the support they need.”

“[This announcement] marks a significant milestone as New York City and the State come together in support of NYCHA residents,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Maria Torres-Springer. “This crucial distribution of funds demonstrates our collective commitment to ensuring that every New Yorker receives the assistance they need. These funds will provide immediate relief to NYCHA households and strengthen NYCHA’s ability to provide services to residents.”

“NYCHA again expresses its gratitude to everyone who made this important rent relief possible, including Governor Kathy Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, New York State Legislature housing chairs Senator Brian Kavanagh and Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal, in addition to Mayor Eric Adams and our City partners, who provided steadfast support, and, of course, the residents themselves, who fiercely advocated for this emergency funding,” said NYCHA CEO Bova-Hiatt. “In securing these funds and ensuring program equity for public housing and subsidized tenants, New York State has demonstrated true leadership — and we are thrilled to see this aid be applied to resident accounts.”

“OTDA is grateful to Governor Hochul and the legislature for providing the necessary funding to ensure that ERAP could assist NYCHA residents and other tenants of subsidized housing who suffered negative economic consequences of the pandemic and fell behind on their rent,” added OTDA Acting Commissioner Barbara C. Guinn.

To connect as many households as possible to ERAP funds, OTDA and NYCHA collaborated to establish a process that provided up to 12 months of financial relief to households that accumulated rent arrears during the pandemic, simplifying the process for these households to apply for ERAP.

Receipt of ERAP payments strengthens NYCHA’s ability to provide critical services to residents – rent payments are critical to NYCHA’s operations, funding one-third of NYCHA’s operating budget.

Residents who need assistance with paying rent should click here to learn more about available resources beyond ERAP.

Photo caption: NYCHA residents and partners rallying for ERAP funding earlier this year.