New York extends deadline for rent relief program

The state’s Department of Homes and Community Renewal extended the deadline for its rent relief program. AP Photo/Hans Pennink

By David Brand 

A state grant program for certain low- to middle-income tenants financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic will accept applications until Aug. 6, officials said Friday.

The COVID Rent Relief Program, administered by the Department of Homes and Community Renewal, provides certain New York households with a one-time rental subsidy that the state will send directly to landlords. The application portal opened July 16.

HCR extended the deadline to file applications for the COVID Rent Relief Program until Aug. 6. Applications are available on HCR’s website in Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Haitian-Creole, Korean and Bengali.  

“By keeping the online portal open for another week, we can make sure everyone who needs to apply for assistance has the opportunity to do so,” said HCR Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas, “This program is intended to prioritize households across the State with the greatest economic and social need, accounting for income, rent burden, percent of income lost and risk of homelessness.”

To qualify for rental assistance, tenants must earn less than 80 percent of Area Median Income, pay at least 30 percent of their income toward rent and demonstrate that they lost income between April 1 and July 31.

Initial glitches with the website, which immediately crashed before HCR got it up and running again, will not affect applications, Visnauskas said. “HCR will not make any determinations on a first come, first served basis,” she said.

 Advocates say the initiative is insufficient to meet the needs of hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers, including many who were already at risk of becoming homeless before the pandemic.

Mailed applications must be postmarked by Aug. 6.