PHASE 4 PHLRentAssist is now open!!

Phase 4 Facts:

• Landlords and tenants can apply. If a landlord applies, their tenant must be eligible, and they must get written consent from their tenant. If a landlord does not wish to participate, the rental assistance can be paid directly to the tenant.

• Applicants who received funds in Phases 1-3 of PHLRentAssist are eligible to apply for Phase 4, however, applicants may not receive funds for any months which they have previously been paid.

• Tenants are eligible if they meet all three of these criteria:

  1- Have a household income at or below 80 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI). View income guidelines here.

  2- Qualify for unemployment benefits; or have experienced a reduction in household income, incurred significant costs, or experienced some other financial hardship due to COVID-19.

  3- Demonstrate a risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability. Tenants can meet this criterion if they have any past-due rent, past due utilities, received an eviction notice, or are paying over one-third of their household income on rent.

• Assistance for both rent and utilities is available:

  1- Rent assistance can be provided for up to 18 months total, including back rent and forward rent. However, no more than 3 months of forward rent can be provided at one time. Tenants who receive 3 months of forward rent and have not exceeded the 18 months of total assistance, may reapply for another 3 months of forward rent.

  2- Applicants with rent arrears must satisfy at least one month of those arrears before applying for forward rent.

  3- Assistance may only be provided for months of rent after April 2020.

  4- The total amount of rent assistance cannot exceed $2,000 per month, and that amount may include late fees or other charges passed on by the landlord.

  5- Utility payments can be provided for up to 18 months total.

  6- Utility payments must have been accrued on or after March 12, 2020.

  7-Utility payments can only be for the current month and past-due utility payments (assistance is not available for future months’ utility bills).

• Utility payments can only be for the current month and past-due utility payments (assistance is not available for future months’ utility bills).

Visit PHLRentAssist for more details and Questions? Call 311 or visit our HELP Portal.

COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program

Today (Friday 8th) the City of Philadelphia announced its COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program. The program aims to help people who have lost income because of COVID-19 pay their rent. Please note that funding is limited. Not everyone who applies can be served.
The City will begin accepting applications for the COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program on Tuesday, May 12, 2020 at 10 a.m. The deadline to apply is Saturday, May 16, 2020 at 5 p.m.
Applications are available through PHLRentAssist.org. Residents without internet access or a smart phone can get program and application information by calling 311.
To be eligible, renters must:

• Rent an apartment or house in Philadelphia

• Have a valid and current written lease signed by landlord

• Have lost income because of COVID-19

• Meet income guidelines

Renters do not have to have been diagnosed with COVID-19 to be eligible.
Renters are NOT eligible if they live in public housing or receive other government rental assistance (Section 8/Housing Choice Vouchers, etc.)
Help us publicize this important program!

• Share PHLRentAssist.org with your family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, contacts, and anyone else you can think of

• Download our fliers and distribute them far and wide

• Have a suggestion about who we could reach out to? Send it to us at info@phdc.phila.org, or just share our website, press release, and/or blog.

On behalf of our Philadelphia neighbors in need – thank you!