HOT TOPIC
6-15-20
Up to 6 months of rental assistance to households that have had a reduction in income or became unemployed
due to the COVID-19 pandemic may be available through the NJ Department of Community Affairs.
Enrollment Period is
Monday, July 6, 2020 at 9:00 am until Friday, July 10, 2020 at 5:00 pm
Households will then be chosen by lottery for rental assistance
A general instruction/overview is provided below, followed by Frequently Asked Questions.
COVID-19 EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (CVERAP)
Up to 6 months of rental assistance to households that have had a reduction in income or became unemployed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
NJ Department of Community Affairs, statewide Open Enrollment site:
****Enrollment Period is
Monday,
July 6, 2020, at 9:00 am until Friday, July 10, 2020, at 5:00 pm****
Completion of this pre-application does not guarantee placement in the COVID-19 ERAP.
The COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program (CVERAP) will provide temporary rental assistance to low- and moderate-income households that have had a substantial reduction in income or became unemployed due the COVID-19 pandemic. Applicants may be eligible for a
maximum of up to six months
of emergency rental assistance. The assistance will be capped at DCA’s fair market rent standard or the total of the rent, whichever is lesser. All participants will be reviewed at the three-month interval to see if they are still in need of assistance. Persons applying must meet all applicable CVERAP income and eligibility requirements. You must be eighteen (18) years of age or older to apply or be an emancipated minor.
Only one (1) pre-application per household will be accepted
.
All participants will be selected through an online lottery process.
Anyone selected for the program must meet the following requirements:
- Have a gross, annual household income that is at or below the maximum income limits for the county where they are be residing
- Be a New Jersey resident and rent a unit in New Jersey
- Rent must be current as of March 2020; this program will not assist with arrears
- Have a substantial reduction in income or are currently receiving unemployment due to the COVID-19 pandemic
- Have a lack of assets and savings to pay rent
- Will pay a minimum of 30 percent of their income towards the rent
COVID-19 EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE MAXIMUM INCOME LIMITS FOR BERGEN COUNTY
1 person 2 person 3 person 4 person
$54,950 $62,800 $70,650 $78,500
WHEN:
CVERAP Pre-applications will only be accepted ONLINE. The open enrollment period is
Monday,
July 6, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. to Friday, July 10, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
PROCESS:
Paper CVERAP pre-applications
will not
be distributed or accepted.
Submission of a CVERAP pre-application does not guarantee placement in the Program.
Only on
e
CVERAP pre-application per household per county will be accepted.
Duplicate CVERAP pre-applications will be rejected.
HOUSEHOLD INFORMATION REQUIRED:
Names, birthdates, income and assets information for all individuals living in the household. An email address is also required. If you do not have an e-mail address, the application process will allow you to create one. If you are not proficient in English, the CVERAP pre-application is available in 90 languages; this information can be found at
https://www.waitlistcheck.com/NJ559-2809
, at the top right of the pre-application. (Not accessible until 7/6/20 at 9:00 am)
REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS:
The Department of Community Affairs (DCA) will extend reasonable accommodations to disabled individuals, and persons who have limited English proficiency on a case-by-case basis and will take into consideration the disability and the need(s) of the individual(s) or those households without internet access. Please call DCA’s Applicant Service Unit at 609-292-4080, Option 1 or 8, to request an accommodation.
LOTTERY PROCESS:
A computerized selection (lottery) process will be used to select eligible applicants. Every application submitted during the open enrollment period has the same chance of being selected during the lottery.
Please be advised that the submission of a CVERAP pre-application does not guarantee placement in the program, or a COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program temporary subsidy.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Status information
will be available at:
https://www.WaitlistCheck.com.
by
July 21, 2020
.
At this site, you can verify if you were selected for the program. If you were selected to the program your status will be
Active
; if you were not selected it will be
Inactive
. (this site is not accessible until 7-21-20)
Continue to check DCA’s website to see when new waiting lists will be opened in the future.
DCA
NJ Department of Community Affairs
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
FOR COVID-19 EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (CVERAP)
Q1.
HOW DO I APPLY FOR COVID-19 EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE?
You can submit a pre-application beginning July 6, 2020 at 9:00 AM a.m. through July 10, 2020, 5:00 PM. Pre-applications will only be available on-line. The website
https://www.waitlistcheck.com/NJ559-2809
accepts pre-applications 24 hours a day from Monday, July 6, 2020, at 9:00 AM to Friday July 10, 2020, at 5:00 PM. Please note that the website will close exactly at 5:00 PM on Friday July 10, 2020; no more applications will be accepted after 5:00 PM. If you do not have access to the internet, starting Monday, July 6, 2020, 9:00 a.m., you can call our Customer Service number, 609-292-4080, option #1, for assistance.
Q2.
WHAT ARE THE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS TO APPLY?
Eligibility Requirements include the following:
·
•Must be a New Jersey resident and renting a unit New Jersey.
·
•Must be a tenant in good standing (are current with your rent through March 2020).
·
•Maximum income up to 80 percent of area median income (AMI).
·
•Must be able to provide documentation of your loss of income due to the COVID-19 pandemic beginning on March 9, 2020. Examples of documentation include the following:
1. Layoff (need documentation from employer or unemployment);
2. Reduced work hours (letter from employer and paystubs);
3. Unpaid leave to take care of children due to school and daycare closures (letter from employer, school and/or daycare)
Q3
. WHAT IS THE WEBSITE TO SUBMIT A PRE-APPLICATION?
The website
https://www.waitlistcheck.com/NJ559-2809
accepts pre-applications 24 hours a day from Monday, July 6, 2020 at 9:00 AM to Friday July 10, 2020 at 5:00 PM. Please note that the website will close exactly at 5:00 PM on Friday July 10, 2020; no more applications will be accepted after 5:00 PM.
Q4.
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER I APPLY?
All pre-applications submitted on-time, will be entered into a computerized lottery. A limited number of pre-applications will be selected through the lottery process.
Q5.
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE LOTTERY?
If your pre-application is selected through the lottery process, your application will be placed on a list. DCA staff will contact you to complete a full application, and request that you provide household documentation including income and proof of loss of income due to COVID. Before submitting your pre-application, please review the eligibility requirements under question #2 above.
Q6.
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO PROCESS MY PRE-APPLICATION?
Our goal is to begin processing pre-applications immediately after the lottery is completed. Processing times may vary depending on whether all necessary documents are provided to verify your income, reduction in hours or job loss.
Q7.
I DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE INTERNET, HOW CAN I APPLY?
If you do not have access to the internet, starting Monday, July 6, 2020, at 9:00 AM., you can call our Customer Service number, 609-292-4080, option #1, for assistance
Q8
. DO I NEED AN EMAIL ADDRESS?
Yes. You must obtain a valid email address to make a pre-application; a pre-application cannot be submitted without an email address. There are many free email services such as Yahoo, Gmail and Hotmail. When you begin your pre-application process, there is a free email site where you can set up an email if you don’t already have one. Also, we have a link to a free email service on the pre-application once you log into
https://www.waitlistcheck.com/NJ559-2809
.
Q9
. DO I NEED A COMPUTER TO SUBMIT A PRE-APPLICATION?
No. You can use a Smart phone, iPhone, Android Tablet or any other electronic device which has internet access to submit a pre-application.
Q10
. CAN I MAKE CHANGES OR CORRECTIONS TO MY PRE-APPLICATION AFTER IT IS SUBMITTED?
No. You cannot make any changes to your pre-application once you “click” submit pre-application
Q11.
WHAT INFORMATION WILL I NEED TO FILL OUT THE CVERAP PRE-APPLICATION?
You will need the full legal names and dates of birth for all members in your household. You will also need to list all income received by every member in the household.
Q12.
WHAT HAPPENS IF I DO NOT HAVE A SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER, CAN I STILL APPLY?
Yes.
Q13.
DOES SUBMITTING A PRE-APPLICATION, GUARANTEE GETTING ASSISTANCE?
No. A random lottery will be performed to select potential applicants.
Q14.
I f I AM SELECTED THROUGH THE LOTTERY, DOES THIS GUARANTEE ASSISTANCE?
No. Households that qualify for assistance must meet the following requirements:
·
•Have a gross, annual household income that is at or below the maximum income limits for the county where they are be residing
·
•Be a New Jersey resident and rent a unit in New Jersey
·
•Rent must be current as of March 2020; this program will not assist with arrears
·
•Have a substantial reduction in income or are currently receiving unemployment due to the COVID-19 pandemic
·
•Have a lack of assets and savings to pay rent
·
•Must be able pay a minimum of 30% of their income towards the rent
Q15.
WHAT KIND OF ASSISTANCE DOES THE EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM PROVIDE?
For those households that are selected through the lottery process and are deemed eligible, the program, will provide short-term, temporary rental assistance up to six months. The assistance will be capped at DCA’s fair market rent standard or the total rent, whichever is lesser. Households will be expected to pay a minimum of30 percent of their income towards rent. At the three-month mark, the household income will be reviewed to determine if assistance is still needed. Assistance that is no longer required will be used to serve additional families. This program will not assist with arrears.
Q16.
I’VE BEEN PAYING MY RENT FROM MY SAVINGS, BUT I’M RUNNING OUT OF MONEY, CAN THIS PROGRAM HELP ME?
Yes. DCA will review all assets when determining eligibility.
Q17
. HOW DO I KNOW IF I WAS SELECTED THROUGH THE LOTTERY?
You will be notified through an email if your pre-application was selected in the lottery. You will also be notified through an email if your pre-application was not selected in the lottery. If your pre-application was not selected in the lottery, your application will become inactive and you will not be considered for this program You also have an option to check your status on
https://www.waitlistcheck.com
on or after July 21, 2020 to learn if you were selected or not through the lottery.
Q18.
WHAT’S THE NEXT STEP IF AFTER I AM SELECTED THROUGH THE LOTTERY?
DCA staff will send you a full application for CVERAP to complete and request that you provide the required household and income documentation
Q19.
If I AM NOT SELECTED THROUGH THE LOTTERY, WILL I BE PUT ON A WAITING LIST FOR FURTHER ASSISTANCE?
No, not at this time.
Q20
. WILL THERE BE ANOTHER PRE-APPLICATION OPEN ENROLLMENT?
No additional openings are planned at this time.
Q21
. IF I AM RECEIVING RENTAL ASSISTANCE AT THE TIME I AM SELECTED THROUGH THE LOTTERY, CAN I RECEIVE ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE?
No. Anyone currently receiving a subsidy from another rental assistance program is ineligible.
Q22
. CAN I APPLY FOR OTHER RENTAL ASSISTANCE WHILE BEING ASSISTED FROM THE CVERAP?
Yes, you are encouraged to apply for various rental assistance programs, but you can only be active on one program at a time. Keep in mind that the COVID-19-ERAP is only temporary. Seeking permanent rental assistance is recommended if you feel you will be unable to afford your rent in the future.
Q23.
HOW DOES A HOUSEHOLD RECEIVE PAYMENT FROM THE CVERAP PROGRAM?
Once your assistance is approved and your landlord provides the required documents, DCA will make payments directly to your landlord.
Q24.
HOW LONG CAN A HOUSEHOLD RECEIVE CVERAP?
Maximum assistance is for six (6) months. Income eligibility will be reviewed at the 3-month interval.
Q25.
WHAT HAPPENS IF I DO NOT HAVE A LEASE?
The landlord can submit a written statement verifying the monthly rent amount.
Q26.
DOES THIS PROGRAM ASSIST WITH UTILITY PAYMENTS?
Q27
. DOES THIS PROGRAM ASSIST WITH SECURITY DEPOSITS?
No.
Q28
. WOULD THE RENTAL ASSISTANCE FOR THIS PROGRAM BE THE SAME AS RECEIVING A SECTION 8 VOUCHER?
No, this is a temporary assistance program.
Q29
. CAN YOU MOVE TO ANOTHER APARTMENT WITH THIS RENTAL ASSISTANCE?
No, this rental assistance is not portable. The program was created to assist households in existing units.
Q30
. WILL I BE PUT ON A WAITLIST FOR OTHER ASSISTANCE IF I AM NOT CHOSEN FOR THIS PROGRAM?
No, once selected through the lottery you will receive assistance if you qualify; you will not be placed on any other waitlist if not chosen for this program.
Q31
. DO I NEED AN EVICTION NOTICE TO APPLY FOR THIS PROGRAM?
No.
Q32.
CAN MORE THAN ONE HOUSEHOLD IN MY HOUSEHOLD APPLY?
No, only one application per household.
Q33.
DO I HAVE TO HAVE INCOME TO QUALIFY FOR THIS PROGRAM?
No.
Q34
. DO I HAVE TO REPAY THE ASSISTANCE RECEIVED THROUGH THIS PROGRAM?
No, unless the agency determines that you have committed fraud or made false statements in order to receive assistance
