$552M In Rent Relief: What Georgians Need To Know

GEORGIA — Renters and landlords across Georgia have experienced extreme financial hardships, to say the least, as the coronavirus pandemic caused millions of people to lose their jobs — and sometimes, their homes.

As cities and counties throughout Georgia have implemented their own rent relief programs to bring rent balances current, now the state has, too.

Georgia recently received $552 million from the U.S. Treasury's Federal Emergency Rental Assistance Program, and the state Department of Community Affairs has now launched an online portal for tenants and landlords to determine eligibility and apply for rent relief.

“The State of Georgia is pleased to be able to provide this rental relief to those who have fallen behind in rent and utility bills due to the pandemic,” said Tonya Cureton Curry, DCA Deputy Commissioner of Housing, in a press release. “We encourage renters and landlords to check the online portal immediately to determine if they are eligible. It’s our hope this assistance will help lessen the financial burdens many Georgian families and individuals are facing.”

Who is eligible and how much help could I get?

Financial assistance is open for eligible tenants, their landlords and utility providers to cover rent arrears, current and future rent payments, and utility arrears payments. Payments go directly to landlords and utility providers.

Tenants can have up to a year of their rent covered; however, some households may qualify for a total of 15 months covered depending on circumstances.

The Georgia Rental Assistance Program (GRA) can serve renter households who meet the following criteria:

• Qualified for unemployment benefits OR experienced a reduction in household income, incurred significant costs, or experienced other financial hardship due directly or indirectly to COVID-19
• Demonstrates a risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability
• Has a household income at or below 80 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI), with priority given to: 1) households below 50 percent of the AMI, or 2) households with one or more individuals who have been unemployed 90 days or longer at the time of application

The online portal for the rental assistance program can be found here.

What about the eviction moratorium?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's eviction moratorium has been extended until March 31, meaning no one should be evicted solely for non-payment of rent until that date.

According to Georgia Legal Aid's COVID-19 resource list, tenants must do the following things to avoid being evicted under this CDC order:

• Fill out the CDC Tenant's Declaration and keep a copy for your records. Each adult on the lease must sign the form. The form must include:
  • The date
  • Your landlord's contact information
  • Your contact information
• Find the CDC Tenant's Declaration form:
  • On this website
  • Online at this form generator. On this site, you can fill out the certification form electronically and email a copy to the landlord.
    • Tenants should email a copy to any and all email addresses they have for the landlord, property manager, etc.
    • If possible, the tenant may want to print a copy to give to the landlord or property manager.
    • Tenants should confirm that page 2 of the declaration contains their signature and personal information before pressing "send."
• Send the Tenant's Declaration to your landlord or property manager by regular mail, certified mail with return receipt requested, and/or by email.
• Continue to pay as much rent as possible when it is due.

For more information about the eviction moratorium or for any questions, visit Georgia Legal Aid's website.