Lose Your Job? Rent Assistance Program In Montclair May Help

MONTCLAIR, NJ — Are you a working-class Montclair resident struggling with a recent job loss? A local rent assistance program may be able to help keep the wolves from the door.

Enrollment for the Montclair Residential Rental Assistance Program opened on Friday at 9 a.m. The program provides temporary rental assistance to low- and moderate-income households affected by employment loss.

Participants must submit a pre-application. A link to the form (in English and Spanish) can be found online here.

Once assistance is approved and the necessary documents are submitted, Montclair Township will make payments directly to the landlord. The program will expire when funding is depleted.

More information about the program can be seen here. According to the municipal website:

“The Montclair Township Residential Rental Assistance (RRA) program makes available an initial amount of $60,000 in funds to assist households that are unable to pay rent. Montclair Township will offer aid to income-eligible households located within the geographical boundaries of the Township who have been economically impacted through job loss, furlough or reduction in hours or pay. RRA is a grant program wherein rental payments are made on behalf of an income-eligible household to the landlord for a maximum period of 12 months to maintain housing and/or to reduce rental payments in arrears. Assistance will be available for monthly rent payments and rental arrearages.”

Eligible participants are households that are obligated to pay rent on a dwelling unit in Montclair Township whose household income is below 80 percent of area median income and who have experienced economic hardship for the 90-day period preceding the application. Economic hardship includes households where family members qualify for unemployment benefits or who have experienced a reduction in household income, incurred significant costs or experienced other financial hardship.

Properties must be a rental property located in Montclair Township.

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