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Rental assistance offered to low-income, St. Johns County renters

By ActionNewsJax.com News Staff
St. Johns County Launches New Rental Assistance Program.

New rental assistance program St. Johns County Launches New Rental Assistance Program. (St. Johns County)

By ActionNewsJax.com News Staff

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — The St. Johns County Emergency Renal Assistance Program (SJC ERA) has been launched to assist low-income residents with rent.

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The county said in a Facebook post that the U.S. Department of the Treasury has provided the county with a total of $2,150,000 of emergency rental assistance to help renters catch up on past-due rent and utilities. The assistance is specifically looking to help residents recover from housing instability experienced during and after the pandemic.

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According to St. Johns County, Capital Access Inc., a grants management consultant, has been tasked as the program manager for SJC ERA. Capital Access processed 18,000 grants for rent, mortgage, and small business assistance during the pandemic for counties and cities in Florida and Pennsylvania.

“Once an application is complete and the grant agreement is executed, we can issue payment directly to the landlord within 48 hours,” Capital Access CEO Jeremey Newberg said. “Many renters still face financial challenges that started during the pandemic. SJC ERA can help them catch up on past-due rent and utilities. Landlords benefit because they can recover past due rent, which helps the overall St. Johns County economy.”

The new rental assistance program:

  • Can cover past-due payments & up to 3 months of future housing expenses, totaling up to 18 months.
  • One application per household.
  • Payments go directly to landlords and utilities.
  • Funds distributed on a “first-come, first-qualified, first-approved” basis.

For more information on how the program works and what you need to qualify, click here.

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Registration for the program is open for tenants and landlords at www.sjc-era.com.

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