County of Monmouth

For Immediate Release:
May 13, 2021

County announces Emergency Rental Assistance Program
ERAP will provide rental assistance to eligible households

FREEHOLD, NJ – The Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners announced that an emergency rental assistance program, “Monmouth County ERAP,” will begin accepting applications starting Thursday, May 13.

The purpose of the Monmouth County ERAP is to prevent evictions and homelessness by providing rental assistance for eligible households in Monmouth County making less than 80% of area median income in accordance with the federal program guidelines.

The Monmouth County ERAP will allow eligible households to receive up to $15,000 for rental costs incurred on or after March 13, 2020. These costs can include rental arrears, prospective rent up to three months to prevent homelessness or housing instability, and household-related expenses such as relocation fees, late fees associated with rental payments and security deposits,” said Commissioner Director Thomas A. Arnone. “It is important for tenants and landlords to work together on the applications in order to receive the relief funds as quickly as possible.”

“Monmouth County is committed to helping our residents who have been affected by COVID-19 and this is another important initiative that will provide a lifeline to tenants and landlords who continue to suffer financial hardship due to the pandemic,” said Commissioner Deputy Director Susan M. Kiley. “The County will also be working closely with several community-based agencies and organizations that are active members of Monmouth ACTS to help identify potential applicants for the Monmouth County ERAP and assist them with the application process.”

Tenant eligibility requirements include:

  1. Must reside in the rental unit located in Monmouth County, NJ as their primary residence.
  2. Must have experienced a loss of household income, incurred a significant cost or is facing a financial hardship due directly to COVID-19.
  3. Must meet program income eligibility requirements.
  4. One or more individuals within the tenant’s household can demonstrate a risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability such as past due rent, utility shut off notice, eviction notice or threat of eviction.

Landlord eligibility requirements include:

  1. The rental property in question must be located in Monmouth County, NJ.
  2. The Landlord must be either the owner of record in accordance with property tax records, business interest or authorized managing agent.

The County has received direct funding in the amount of $18,465,589.40 from the United States Department of Treasury under the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (“ERAP 1”).

For more information, visit www.monmouthcountyerap.com or call (848) 801-1297 between 8:00 am and 6:00 pm Monday through Friday or 8:00 am and 1:00 pm on Saturday.

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