Monterey County Emergency Rental Assistance Program

 

 

We have fully obligated remaining funds for this program. Because of this, United Way Monterey County is no longer accepting new applications or requests for additional payments for the program. United Way Monterey County and our partner agencies are working to process applications as quickly as possible. Please reach out to your assigned agency for more information. Thank you for your patience. Per State guidance, we are currently prioritizing those with rental arrears and who are at immediate risk of housing instability. For more information about our prioritization policy, please click here. Thank you for your understanding.

 

See the below Q&As for further clarification on the above announcement:

How can I check the status of my application?
Please call 211 to check on the status of your application or login to your neighborly portal to view your status.

Can I still apply for rental assistance?
Unfortunately, the application deadline ended on April 15th, 2022. We are not accepting any new applications for our program.

Application status
Application in progress or Incomplete: This application was not completed by the deadline. Unfortunately, we are not able to assist. 
Application under agency review: application is under review by a caseworker. Please call your assigned caseworker for more information. If you are unsure of who this is, please call United Way for more information.
Assigned to Agency/Waitlist: Your application has been placed on a waitlist in order to prioritize more urgent applications. This is normally due to a statement by the applicant that he/she/they are not in need of immediate assistance.

Is the program out of funds?
At this time, funds are limited for this program. We cannot guarantee assistance for any applicant at this time.  It is our goal to prioritize those who have been waiting for assistance, owe rental arrears, and are housing unstable. For more information on our prioritization policy, please read here. If you have already applied for the program, and are concerned that you will not receive assistance, please call your assisting agency, or call United Way to be connected with your assisting agency.

 

 

ERAP Program Guidelines

We have updated our Smart Referral Network (SRN) terms of service. Please click here to view.

For program information view the flyers or content below. Visit the program FAQs for rental eligibility, application, and tenant rights. 

Program Guidelines: Download Here

 

Program Flyers

Who is Eligible?

Please note: We are not currently accepting new applications for this program as funds are limited. 

To be eligible for the rental and utility support through the Monterey County ERAP, residents need to meet the following requirements and provide the needed documents:

  • Tenants living within the County of Monterey, regardless of immigration status
  • Tenants may have formal or informal lease arrangements
  • At or below 80% Area Median Income of Monterey County
    *Program will prioritize funding for very low-income tenants (at or below 50% AMI), as well as those who are at immediate risk of homelessness or have rental arrears
Household 1 Person 2 People 3 People 4 People 5 People 6 People
80% AMI $56,950 $65,100 $73,250 $81,350 $87,900 $94,400
50% AMI $35,600 $40,700 $45,800 $50,850 $54,950 $59,000

Tenants have suffered a COVID-19-related financial distress that caused them to be unable to pay their rent after April 1, 2020. A COVID-19-related financial distress can include any of the following:

  • Loss of income caused by the pandemic
  • Increased out-of-pocket expenses directly related to performing essential work during the pandemic
  • Increased expenses directly related to the health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Childcare responsibilities or responsibilities to care for an elderly, disabled, or sick family member directly related to the COVID-19 pandemic that limits the tenant's ability to earn income or increased costs of these responsibilities
  • Other circumstances related to the COVID-19 pandemic that have reduced a tenant's income or increased a tenant's expenses

If you have any questions related to eligibility, the application process, or your tenant protections, please visit our FAQs page.

Required Paperwork

Applicants must provide the following to apply:

  • Documentation of housing or financial instability resulting from loss or reduction in income due to COVID-19
  • Proof of income eligibility (one of the following: 2021 tax return, recent pay stub, unemployment award/benefit, hour reduction notice from employer)
  • Government-issued ID (from any country) that includes a photo, name, and birthday for the head of household
  • Rent due notices

Information for the Landlords

If eligible, the landlord will be notified by one of the partnering agencies to provide the required paperwork(s) stated below. 

A formal lease is not required, however, assistance must be paid directly to the landlord. The property landlord must provide the following forms:

  • Government-issued ID
  • Tax info, such as a W9
     

Program Limitations

  • Rental assistance will be paid directly to the landlord
  • Past due rent plus utility assistance may not exceed 12 months of assistance per tenant.
  • Rent arrears must be paid before future payments, and only 3 months of future payments can be provided to each applicant
  • Per our prioritization policy effective on January 21st, 2022, we are prioritizing rental arrears over future rent payments and utility payments. If you have applied for utility assistance only, please reach out to 211 to pursue other options. Note: The program stopped accepting new applications after April 15th, 2022, due to limited funds. Applications submitted after January 18th prior to April 15th have been placed on a waiting list and will be processed based on funding availability and prioritization policy. 
  • As of June 29, 2021, rent can be paid at 100%. If the tenant has already received a portion of their rent, they may contact the Agency that assisted them to request the remaining balance paid to the landlord. 
  • All rent accrued after April 1, 2020 is eligible. 

Participating Partners

Agency Rental Assistance Utility Assistance
Central Coast Energy Services n/a x
City of Gonzales x x
City of King x x
City of Soledad x x
Goodwill Central Coast x x
Housing Resource Center x n/a
Monterey One Water n/a x
North Monterey County Recreation & Park District x x
Pajaro Valley Prevention and Student Assistance x x
Salvation Army Monterey Peninsula Corps x n/a