Housing Aid For Low-Income NJ Renters (How To Apply In 2025)

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Are you a low-income New Jersey resident who needs help paying your rent? A state aid program will be opening for applications soon – and you may be able to score a spot on the list, officials announced Tuesday.

The State Rental Assistance Program (SRAP) provides housing subsidies to very low-income New Jersey residents so they can afford “decent, safe and sanitary housing.” Learn more here.

Applications for 2025 will open at 9 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 13 and run through 5 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 31. Eligible residents can apply online here at that time.

People with disabilities or those needing assistance with their application can email customer.service@dca.nj.gov, or contact 609-292-4080 (option 9) between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.

Applicants who qualify will be entered into a lottery to be placed on a waiting list, with priority going to military veterans, people experiencing homelessness, people with disabilities and people aged 62 and older. The status of applications can be checked online here after Feb. 14.

Applicants must meet certain income limits based on household size and county of residence (see the full list here).

In Essex County, the income limits are:

• 1 person – $36,525
• 2 people – $41,725
• 3 people – $46,925
• 4 people – $52,125
• 5 people – $56,325
• 6 people – $60,500
• 7 people – $64,650
• 8 people – $69,360

“Our department is dedicated to helping veterans, seniors, disabled individuals, and low-income families find a safe, stable, and affordable home, in the communities they wish to live, by providing critical state rental assistance,” New Jersey Department of Community Affairs commissioner Jacquelyn Suárez said.

“We are pleased to be able to open the waiting list to our State Rental Assistance Program so that more people can receive housing help in the near future,” Suárez said.

• See Related: 13 Renters Compete For Every Apartment In North Jersey, Study Says
• See Related: Thousands Of NJ Tenants Face ‘Unjustified Evictions’ Every Year

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