Hillsborough County offering emergency assistance for renters

Hillsborough County is offering financial assistance for those having a hard time paying rent due to being impacted by COVID-19.

The county says $44 million has been allocated from the CARES Act of 2021 for its new Rapid Response Recovery Emergency Rental Assistance Program.

An online portal is now open for those who wish to apply. The program is designed to help those who are past-due on rent and electric bills.

The Emergency Rental Assistance Program’s online application portal is open to eligible households with an active lease with past-due payments who are at or below 50% Area Median Income (AMI) as reported on their 2020 Federal Income Tax filing or with zero income during the 90 days prior to the application date. See the full list of eligibility criteria here.

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Additionally, households at or below 80% AMI will be able to apply for the Emergency Rental Assistance Program through the online portal starting Monday, April 12 at 8 a.m.

Through this additional funding, the program aims to prevent recipients from experiencing further financial hardship by providing up to $7,500 for past-due rent and up to $750 for past-due TECO electric bills per approved household.

The program’s eligibility criteria, documentation requirements for households, and the online application portal are posted at HCFLGov.net/R3HomeHelp.

Any eligible resident of Hillsborough County, including individuals and families in Tampa, Plant City, and Temple Terrace, can apply for assistance.