State Reopens Emergency Rent Relief In Babylon, Brookhaven Towns

LONG ISLAND, NY—A court order means that as of Tuesday, residents of Brookhaven and Babylon towns can once again apply for state emergency rent relief. But a lack of funds means that the applications may not result in immediate help for strapped renters.

In the fall of 2021, both Long Island townships—along with New York City—exhausted their allotments of the rent relief, administered through the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance. But a lawsuit alleged that closing the applications to residents put them at risk of eviction.

A message added to the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) page of the department's website announced this week's update.

"Total requests for assistance exceed available federal funding for the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP). Due to a court order, applications for ERAP will be accepted statewide January 11, 2022 at 10 p.m. There is currently no federal funding available to provide assistance in most areas of the State. Therefore, applications will only be reviewed and considered for funding if additional funds become available, except in the areas listed below."

New York State's eviction moratorium expires Saturday. And even though not enough funds are currently in the coffers of ERAP, applying for the protection means tenants are protected from eviction if they are determined to be qualified for assistance.

The state-wide class action lawsuit, argued that by closing applications to some New Yorkers, they were denied protection from eviction.

“It is now abundantly clear that the Hochul Administration violated the law when it prematurely closed the ERAP portal, denying thousands of families access to funds and safe harbor from eviction,” an attorney for one of the plaintiffs, the Legal Aid Society, told US News & World Report.