Rent and Mortgage Assistance Is Still Available in Erie County

Back on October 1st, the Erie The Live Well Erie Housing Advisory Taskforce opened a rental and mortgage payment assistance program that could assist Erie County Residents who have fallen behind on their payments due to the COVID-19 Crisis.

MORE: New Housing Assistance Program Set to Start October 1st

This payment assistance program is funded using Coronavirus stimulus money from the CARES Act and must be spent before the end of the year according to Marie Cannon, Commissioner of the Erie County Department of Social Services.

MORE: Social Services Commissioner Cannon Talks About Rental Assistance, COVID-19, and More [Interview]

To qualify for assistance with your past-due Mortgage or Rent, you must live in Erie County, be able to prove where you live and that you are behind on your payments, have an income that is lower than 85% of the State Median Income, and be able to show proof that you have lost income due to COVID-19.

If you are a household of 4, you can qualify for assistance if your income is less than $81,549
-Mark Poloncarz, Erie County Executive

If you are approved for assistance, you can receive a grant of up to $3,500.00 or up to 5 months. If you think you qualify for this program, it is very important that you begin your application as soon as possible. The deadline to apply is November 15th.

We want as many people that are eligible to do the screening, to apply, we want to help, this whole taskforce wants to help.
-Marie Cannon, Commissioner of Social Services in Erie County

If you have questions about this program or want to start an application, you start by contacting 211. You can reach 211 by calling 211 or visiting their website for more information. Once you have started your application, you will be partnered with a local non-profit case manager to help you complete your application.

Remember, the deadline is November 15th, so if you qualify, you need to apply as soon as possible.