D.C.’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) reopened on Nov. 20, after being closed for nearly five months. Applications closed in just under six hours, meaning D.C. residents applied for more than $20 million in rent assistance in half a day. This is the only time the program, which helps low-income renters facing housing emergencies, will be open this fiscal year.
ERAP helps renters facing housing emergencies by providing a one-time subsidy to cover late rent. Applications for the program, which can be found at erap.dhs.dc.gov, will remain open until all funding is exhausted for the year.
The program is reopening just weeks after the D.C. Council passed a temporary amendment to limit protections from eviction while tenants apply for ERAP and toughen application requirements. The amendment came after landlords and housing providers said they were struggling to make ends meet as millions of dollars of rent went unpaid, jeopardizing affordable housing in the city.
Under the old regulations, families who were in the ERAP application process could not be evicted, because if they received the assistance, they might be able to pay any missed rent. Now, judges will be able to evict people with pending ERAP applications.
Applicants will also no longer be able to self-certify if they need assistance. Officials waived the requirement for applicants to provide documentation of their need — such as proof they had recently lost their job or that a family member or close friend had had a medical emergency — during the pandemic. The measure passed in October reinstates this requirement.
The city also changed the application process for the program, which will now open just once a fiscal year. In the fiscal year 2024, which ran from Oct.1, 2023, to Sept. 30, 2024, applications for ERAP opened every three months and the city distributed a portion of the funds each time. The last time ERAP opened just once a year, in fiscal year 2023, demand was so high that all funding was exhausted in just five months. This January, over 3,500 people applied for rental assistance in just four hours.
The demand illustrates how many District residents rely on ERAP to stay stably housed through crises such as job loss and illness. Tenants also report they are increasingly burdened by the high cost of housing, meaning the program can be the difference between staying in an apartment and facing homelessness. However, Mayor Muriel Bowser insists that’s not the purpose of the program and has regularly advocated cutting funding to ERAP, alleging people who can afford to pay their rent are taking advantage of the program.
This year, the D.C. Council voted to fund ERAP at $26.7 million, a huge drop from the combined federal and local funds that made over $75 million available for aid in fiscal year 2024. Because of the low funding levels, advocates and elected officials are urging residents who think they may qualify for ERAP to apply as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, the council held a hearing on Nov. 15 to hear from tenants about changes to the program. Housing Committee Chair Councilmember Robert White emphasized the October amendment is temporary in an email to Street Sense, and said he worked to add measures that increased flexibility and protection for tenants. The council now has to devise a permanent version of this bill, though White’s office said a bill isn’t likely to pass until the next council session starts in January.
White said he wants to both meet the needs of tenants and ensure the ongoing availability of affordable housing in the District. Some people owe much more money than ERAP can pay for them, and would not be able to stay in their homes long-term even if they receive a subsidy.
“ERAP alone can’t bear the entire weight of our current housing crisis,” White wrote in an email. “For people in general need of more affordable housing, we need to look for opportunities for new housing downtown, rent subsidy programs, and other innovative ideas to help fill the gap.”
Could ERAP help me?
D.C. residents can apply online at erap.dhs.dc.gov or over the phone at 202-507-6666.
For households facing housing emergencies, homelessness, or at risk of eviction, ERAP can provide up to five months of back rent or pay the security deposit and first month’s rent for a new apartment. The program can also cover late fees and court costs, though the amount of aid available depends on a household’s income and need.
Current D.C. residents are eligible if they make no more than 40% of the area median income — putting the threshold for assistance at $42,588 for an individual or $60,840 for a family of four. Applicants have to provide several documents with their application, including proof of residency, like a lease, photo ID, proof of income from the last 30 days, proof of any benefits received, and proof of the emergency that qualifies them, such as an unemployment statement or medical records.
According to the emergency legislation passed in October, qualifying emergencies include temporary job loss, pandemic-related income loss, unforeseen medical expenses, reduced employment, increased expenses, or reduced income due to a death or other change in the family.
This story has been updated from the print version to reflect the ERAP portal closed the same day it opened.
