- ERA Alabama has assisted 7,385 renter households, for an estimated total of $40.2 million dollars in rental assistance and $3.8 million dollars in utility assistance, for a combined grand total of $44 million dollars.
- ERA Alabama may provide up to 15 months of total assistance for rent and/ or utility assistance. Once funded additional assistance may be requested every 3 months until the 15-month threshold is reached.
- Tenants do NOT have to be behind in expenses in order to be eligible for assistance.
- Newly released Treasury Regulations allowing for the reduced documentation and eligibility requirements, has enabled ERA Alabama to streamline the application review process, increase funding and provide assistance to more renter households impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
ERA Alabama Streamlined Process for AHFA-Funded Projects
- In order to accelerate processing times for those in low-income housing, ERA Alabama initiated the ERA Streamlined Process for AHFA-Funded Projects Program. This streamlined process was created to assist landlords with more efficiently submitting applications for multiple tenants through a bulk upload process.
- By enrolling, landlords have the possibility to obtain rent for their tenants for a collective of 15 months. Tenants do not need to be behind in order to be eligible for the program. ERA Alabama will assist with up to three months of forward assistance for rent and utilities at a given time.
- To date, more than 289 AHFA Projects have participated in the Program which includes 1,857 renter households. Overall funding for the Program is roughly $3.7 million dollars.
- Celeste Stewart, with Apartment Services, recently commented on the ERA Streamlined Process for AHFA-Funded Projects and said, "ASM along with AHFA’s Alabama ERA Streamlined process has now approved more then $1 million in emergency rental assistance for our residents! Thank you for your help providing this new process for our communities and our residents!”
- Want to participate? Keep these tips in mind to keep the process as efficient as possible:
- Include only the portion of rent that the tenant(s) pay per month.
- i.e.- If rent is $500 per month and vouchers and/or other forms assistance cover $400 per month, the portion that the tenant pays would be $100 per month. Therefore, you would only include the $100 in the rental amount requested.
- Verify that a tenant(s) are below the 80% AMI for the applicable county
Imminent Eviction Prevention Initiative Program
- A partnership with Legal Services of Alabama (LSA) has helped to aid 329 renter households, for an estimated total of $2.4 million dollars in rental assistance and $211,000 in utility assistance, for a combined grand total of an estimated $2.6 million.
- LSA attorneys listed below are some of the top performers and have assisted 110 renter households for roughly $970,000 in total funding:
- Attorney Willie Mays Jones from Tuscaloosa: Approximately $396,000
- Attorney Rae Bolton from Birmingham: Approximately $292,000
- Attorney Farah Majid from Birmingham: Approximately $282,000
- Households that have obtained legal representation may have their cases assisted through the Imminent Eviction Prevention Initiative.
- This Program helps to provide assistance to renter households in less than 14 business days, allowing tenants to avoid immediate eviction and stay safely housed while achieving financial relief.
If you have any questions about ERA Alabama, email
era@ahfa.com.
