Broward County recently issued the following announcement.
The Emergency Rental Assistance Program has assisted 914 unique households with more than $10 million in rent and utility payments. Residents who have received financial assistance say that the biggest hurdle in the application process is producing documentation that demonstrates financial hardship due to COVID-19 – a U.S. Treasury Department requirement for determining eligibility for assistance.
“Verifying COVID-19 financial hardship and documenting household income are the two categories creating the greatest frustration among applicants,” said Natalie Moffitt Beasley, Assistant Director of Broward County’s Family Success Administration Division, which is administering the program. “We understand that not everyone will have one type of document or another, so we have many options for how to meet these requirements,” Beasley said.
Options for demonstrating COVID-19 financial hardship include one or more of the following:
Notification of COVID-19 related job loss, furlough or reduction in hours or pay, showing both the employer’s and applicant’s (or household member’s) names and the employer’s contact number
A copy of the application or approval for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits
Documentation of income loss resulting from sickness with COVID-19 or caring for a household or family member who is sick with COVID-19
Documentation of extraordinary out-of-pocket childcare expenses due to school closures, medical expenses or health care expenditures stemming from COVID-19 infection
Acceptable forms of income verification are:
Wage and/or unemployment compensation statements
IRS Form 1040 for 2020 with confirmation pages for electronic filings or applicant certification that the form being submitted is the form filed with the IRS
Current profit/loss statement, along with the Form 1040, if self-employed
While online applications are encouraged, four in-person application intake centers have been established. The centers are staffed with specialists who can assist applicants in identifying documents that will meet federal eligibility requirements, and help applicants complete online applications and upload documents.
“A complete application will shorten application processing times and get funds in the hands of tenants and/or landlords faster,” said Beasley. Anyone struggling to complete the application process should call 800-204-0557 and schedule an appointment at one of these intake centers (appointment required):
Housing Foundation of America
2400 N. University Drive, Suite 200
Pembroke Pines, FL 33024
Housing Foundation of America
1773 N. State Road 7, Suite 101-D
Lauderhill, FL 33313
Crisis Housing Solutions (at the Northwest Family Success Center)
10077 NW 29th Street
Coral Springs, FL 33065
Consolidated Credit
5701 W. Sunrise Boulevard
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33313
A call center is also available at 888-692-7203 to assist applicants with questions about the application.
For more information, visit Broward.org/RentAssistance.
Original source can be found here.
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