With the nationwide eviction moratorium set to expire at the end of July, the organizations behind Lancaster County's Emergency Rental Assistance Program are taking additional steps to make sure everyone who needs the program has access to it.
Related: Rental assistance is ample, but aid hinges on documentation
On Friday and Saturday, July 23 and 24, Clipper Magazine Stadium will host back-to-back "Rental & Utility Assistance Community Days," giving households a chance to receive in-person consultations and assistance with their applications.
The Friday event runs from 12 noon to 7 p.m.; the Saturday event runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Those interested in attending are asked to register in advance via this link. The stadium is at 650 N. Prince St., Lancaster.
Assistance will be available in English and Spanish, with bilingual staffers identified on their name tags, Justin Eby, executive director of the Lancaster County Redevelopment Authority, said.
The Emergency Rental Assistance Program, or ERAP, will pay rent and utility bills and related costs on behalf of eligible households that lost income due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Households must earn no more than 80% of area median income, which in Lancaster County is $66,400 for a family of four.
Locally, the Redevelopment Authority administers the federally funded program with assistance from the county's Eviction Prevention Network and other nonprofits. For details and to apply online, visit the authority's website.
As of July 16, the program had distributed $3.25 million in rental assistance and $261,000 in utility payments, for a total of $3.5 million.
However, nearly 70% of the applications submitted — 1,792 out of 2,593 — are incomplete. Until all materials are submitted, applications cannot be approved for payment.
