BATON ROUGE, La. - East Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome announced her office is launching the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) to help provide financial relief to landlords and renters who have been impacted during the pandemic.
The program currently has 29-million dollars in aid, which must be spent by Dec. 31, 2021. Landlords are encouraged to provide an assessment of late rental payments and apply for assistance. Those who are approved may be eligible to receive past due rent dating back to April 1, 2020, from tenants who are unable to pay due to COVID-19. EARP will disperse funds directly to the landlord, not the tenant.
Renters facing financial hardships because of the pandemic are also encouraged to apply for assistance. An “eligible household” must meet at least one of the following criteria:
-Qualifies for unemployment or has experienced a reduction in household income, incurred significant cost, or experienced a financial hardship due to COVID-19.
• Demonstrates a risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability.
• Has a household income at or below 80% area median income (AMI).
• Eligible households may receive up to 12 months of the assistance of overdue rent
payments, plus an additional 3 months for future rent payments, up to a maximum of $15,000 per household.
Landlord and Renters can apply for the aide starting Sat. March 13. A call center will also be available for individuals who are unable to apply online. Click here to apply.
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