On Tuesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the state of Florida has submitted confirmation to the United States Department of the Treasury that it will take part in the Emergency Rental Assistance Program established under the federal COVID-19 relief legislation signed into law on December 27, 2020.
The program will provide $1.4 billion in emergency rental assistance to Floridians, of which it is anticipated that more than $850 million will be administered by the state of Florida.
Cities and counties with a population of 200,000 and greater will receive funds directly from the United States Department of the Treasury for the program. While final allocations have not yet been released, it is anticipated that more than $850 million will be provided to the state.
Households meeting the following criteria will be eligible for assistance:
- Qualifies for unemployment or has experienced a reduction in household income, incurred significant costs, or experienced a financial hardship due to COVID-19.
- Demonstrates a risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability.
- Has a household income at or below 80 percent of the area median income, with priority given to households below 50 percent of the area median income.
The state expects disbursement of funds under the Emergency Rental Assistance Program from the federal government to eligible units of government to occur in the coming weeks. Additional information on the program will be released as further guidance is provided by the federal government.
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