The City of Port St. Lucie's Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA2) Program will assist eligible City residents who experienced economic hardship because of the COVID-19 pandemic (loss of income resulting from COVID-19 as of March 2020, due to temporary furlough/layoff, elimination of position, reduction of work hours, self-employment with temporary closure or loss of business, or any other unexpected/extraordinary living expenses/medical costs that have resulted in an unexpected loss of disposable income directly related to the COVID-19 pandemic). Eligible assistance types are as follows:
- Rental Payment Assistance (Primary Residence Only)
This program is not intended to provide long-term support for participants. Only the amount of money that is needed for each month(s) rental payment or any arrears may be approved at any one time. The maximum total assistance, for all COVID-19 grant programs combined, is 18 months. The program will be available as long as funds are available. The City may close application acceptance in order to comply with processing rules and regulations.
Household income cannot exceed 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI) by household size (based on reduced income due to COVID-19). Households with at least one (1) unemployed member and households at or below 50% Area Median Income (AMI) will be prioritized according to the City's policies and procedures for Emergency Rental Assistance.
Landlord & Payment Information
Payments will be made to the approved landlord or lessor documented on a lease or agreement. If you are approved for assistance (which will be reflected in the section labeled "Official Decision"), an approved landlord or lessor must send a completed W-9 Form to the City and the City will register them as a vendor. Additionally, a landlord or lessor may be required to sign an agreement and/or agree to participate in the program. The applicant must coordinate with the landlord or lessor. Only in extraordinary circumstances staff may intervene to assist and will attempt to seek participation from the landlord or lessor for up to five (5) business days before other extraordinary methods of payment are considered per the City's policies and procedures and Official Guidance from the U.S. Department of the Treasury whose role is to manage the ERA Program.
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must reside in the City of Port St Lucie and have an economic hardship directly related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Assistance will only be provided for past due payments as of March 2020.
- Household must meet gross annual incomes not exceeding 80% of Area Median Income (AMI) limits, as shown below.
- Household must have at least a 10% reduction in income if your employment income has been reduced.
Household Size | Average Monthly Income | Maximum Annual Income (Not to Exceed 80% of AMI) |
1 Person | $3,337 | $40,050 |
2 Persons | $3,816 | $45,800 |
3 Persons | $4,291 | $51,500 |
4 Persons | $4,766 | $57,200 |
5 Persons | $5,150 | $61,800 |
6 Persons | $5,533 | $66,400 |
7 Persons | $5,912 | $70,950 |
8 Persons | $6,291 | $75,550 |
Availability of Funds
Funding for rental assistance provided by this program comes from the City's Federal Emergency Rental Assistance 2 Program allocation, via the U.S. Department of the Treasury, as a result of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The City reserves the right to adjust funding levels based on grant regulations and compliance. Applications will be processed on a first submitted, first complete, first eligible basis, based on the City's policies and procedures. Applications will be deemed ready and processed for eligibility only when applications are complete. Complete applications have answered all questions/sections, attached all required documents and any documents needed for proving a COVID-19 related hardship, income, identity and family status. Approval is subject to funding availability.
Application Completeness
Only completed applications, which consist of a completed and signed application form and all the applicable supporting documentation, will be accepted, and processed for approval. Please double check your application and all the requested documentation before submitting. If you submit an incomplete application, it will be opened for editing, you will be contacted with information about what you are missing, and you will have three (3) business days to "submit" to us a completed application for completeness check. If an application submission is labeled as "undecided" it has not been accepted as complete, status will be approved when it is complete. Only when "Official Decision" has been updated to "Approved" will the application be approved for funding.