Rental assistance program offers help to tenants in need

By JEFF STITT

jstitt@yourmvi.com

State Department of Human Services Secretary Teresa Miller is urging people in the Mon Valley and across Southwestern Pennsylvania to take advantage of the Emergency Rental Assistance Program.

Miller, state Democratic Minority Leader Sen. Jay Costa and leaders from Allegheny, Beaver and Bedford counties came together virtually Tuesday to encourage individuals and families in southwest Pennsylvania who pay rent and are at risk of eviction or loss of utility service to apply for help through the Emergency Rental Assistance Program, which launched in March.

A total of $847 million has been distributed among Pennsylvania’s 67 counties to help thousands of families maintain their housing and utility services and to sustain an industry hit hard by the economic downturn, Miller said Tuesday.

She said residential tenants can apply for rent and utility assistance through ERAP on their own. If determined eligible, residential tenants can receive assistance through ERAP regardless of a landlord’s level of cooperation.

Likewise, landlords can apply for assistance on behalf of tenants and receive rental assistance directly if the tenant is eligible, according to the DHS secretary.

“This program has the potential to stabilize the lives of millions of Pennsylvanians in vulnerable housing situations. While $847 million is a lot of money that can help a lot of people, it is first-come, first-served,” Miller said, later adding that “the people who have borne the brunt of this pandemic deserve to see a light at the end of this tunnel.”

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