Tenants needing help paying their rent might look to State and local organizations for assistance. These organizations might be able to provide one-shot deals that help pay rent owed or may offer other services to assist with housing stability.

We surveyed program administrators and conducted hour-long interviews with 15 of them. They shared many challenges and lessons learned.

Assistance with back rent

A number of charities provide one-shot deals to help people with back rent. They typically pay off some or all the back rent owed, but not ongoing rent. They also may help with utility bills. However, these one-shot deals usually require you to come up with a portion of the money on your own, or through another source such as a family member or charity.

In addition, the ERAP payment must satisfies the tenant's full rental obligations for the months covered by the ERAP payment and not increase the tenant's monthly housing costs above 30% of their income. This requirement is consistent with the underlying tenancy assistance regulations in NYS HOME.

Moreover, for households to remain eligible for ERAP, the household's income must be re-examined and documented annually using source documentation. The local program manager will assist with this reassessment. In addition, the reassessment must coincide with lease renewal. For both landlords and tenants, a written agreement must be signed at contract execution.

One-shot deals

NYC's Human Resources Administration has emergency assistance programs known as one-shot deals that can help you pay an unexpected expense – like an unreturned deposit or back rent. The criteria for these grants is evaluated on a case-by-case basis, but you generally must be able to show that the expense was a result of an unexpected circumstance or event and that you can afford the expenses going forward. Contributions from other charities that reduce the amount needed to be paid can also help HRA approve these one-shot grants. You can apply for a one-shot deal by visiting your local HRA public assistance office or, if you are in housing court with a Marshall's notice, applying through the HRA office located in your courthouse.

State and local organizations

There are a number of organizations that can help if you are struggling to pay your rent. They offer assistance with one-time payments for back rent or future rent, and can also help with utility costs. These organizations are often funded by local governments and private charities.

These programs often require you to meet specific income and eligibility requirements. They may also have requirements for tenancy maintenance, such as keeping the apartment clean, avoiding evictions, and returning security deposits in full. These programs are only available in certain areas and are subject to change without notice.

The ERAP program can help with up to 12 months of back rent and three months of future rent, and can also cover utility arrears in some cases. Households must be at or below 80% of the area median income (AMI) to qualify. Unlike other rental assistance programs, HOME TBRA assistance follows the household rather than the project. The household's income must be reassessed annually using source documentation.