Middlesex County NJ
Home MenuCOVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program
UPDATE: Effective Wednesday, June 29, 2022, all new applications for emergency rental assistance must be submitted via this link: https://njdca.onlinepha.com/ or you can click the button below. Please call 609-490-4550 with any questions or for assistance.
Help is available for renters in the County!
Are you in need of rental assistance as a direct result of COVID-19? Support is available right now for low-to-moderate-income households! Middlesex County has established an Emergency Rental Assistance Program for eligible households facing a loss of income due to the pandemic.
If qualified, funds from the program may be used to pay outstanding balances for rent or utilities (gas, electric, and/or water only), with funds usually being paid directly to landlords and service providers. If a landlord does not wish to participate, funds may be paid directly to the eligible household. Generally, temporary assistance will not exceed more than 12 months.
Priority will be given to tenants facing eviction and/or households with an individual who has been unemployed for the 90 days prior to application, and households with income at or below 50% of the area median are to be prioritized for assistance.
Eligibility Requirements
An “eligible household” is defined as a renter household in which at least one or more individuals meets the following criteria:
- Qualifies for unemployment or has experienced a reduction in household income, incurred significant costs, or experienced a financial hardship due to COVID-19.
- Demonstrates a risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability, mainly documented by having an outstanding rental balance and/or eviction filing. Landlords may file for eviction during the moratorium, but cases are not heard.
- Has a household income at or below 80% of the area median. Not sure if this is you? This chart will tell you.
Middlesex County Emergency Rental Assistance Program Income Limits
| 1 Person Household |
2 Person Household |
3 Person Household |
4 Person Household |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50% of Area Median Income |
$43,150 |
$49,300 |
$55,450 |
$61,600 |
| 80% of Area Median Income |
$57,250 |
$65,400 |
$73,600 |
$81,750 |
| 5 Person Household |
6 Person Household |
7 Person Household |
8 Person Household |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50% of Area Median Income |
$66,550 |
$71,500 |
$76,400 |
$81,350 |
| 80% of Area Median Income |
$88,300 |
$94,850 |
$101,400 |
$107,950 |
Additional Considerations
- Rental assistance may be provided to individuals who had a rental unit prior to the pandemic commencing in March 2020, lost the rental unit due to the pandemic and executed a lease for a new rental unit, but are having difficulty paying the first few months of the new lease.
- If an eligible household is behind on rent payments, also known as being in arrears, assistance must be provided to reduce or pay off the back rent before that household may recieve assistance for future rent payments.
- Assistance cannot be provided for rental/utility bills prior to March 2020.
- Qualifies for unemployment or h Rental assistance provided to an eligible household should not be duplicative of any other federally funded rental assistance provided to such household. (For households in Section 8 or federal housing, assistance may be available for the tenant's portion of the rent or to pay an outstanding utility balance.)