The Matt Urban Center will host a pop-up community event to provide assistance to tenants and landlords in the community who are interested in applying for the New York State Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) and Landlord Rental Assistance Program (LRAP).
The event will be held on Wednesday, November 3, 2021 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Hope Center at 385 Paderewski Drive, Buffalo, NY 14212. The organization’s Eviction Prevention team will be on site processing applications and providing information on the program.
“The Matt Urban Center’s eviction prevention team was able to help 41 clients complete full applications at our recent pop-up events,” said Maya Shermer, Director of Housing & Community Development. “We have served a total of 159 households in total. We’re looking forward to helping many more residents at the event on November 3. We are also still accepting applications for the rental rehab program that is available to assist eligible small-scale landlords with repair needs.”
The NYS Emergency Rental Assistance Program assists households that are behind on their rent that have experienced financial hardship from the COVID-19 pandemic and are at risk of homelessness or housing instability. This program can also provide support with rent arrears, temporary rental assistance, and unpaid gas and electric utility bills. Payments are made directly to the landlord, property owner or utility company on behalf of the tenant. Landlords are also able to start an application on their tenants’ behalf, though the application must be verified and completed by the tenant.
As of October 7, the Landlord Rental Assistance Program (LRAP) is available to landlords for assistance in situations where their tenants are unwilling to apply to ERAP, including when a tenant has left the property. Much like ERAP, eligible landlords may receive up to 12 months or rental arrears payments for rents accrued on or after March 1, 2020.
Those interested in applying at the event can find a list of required documents and program eligibility requirements at www.urbanctr.org/hope-services/hope-center/ERAP.
For more information on the Emergency Rental Assistance Program or the ERAP Community Pop-Up Event at the Matt Urban Hope Center, contact Kevin Glover at (716) 893-7222 x306 or kglover@urbanctr.org.
The Lt. Col. Matt Urban Human Services Center of WNY is a multi-purpose community center located on the East Side of Buffalo. It is our mission to provide programs that revitalize neighborhoods, serve families, and change lives.
