Apply for Delaware County Emergency Rental Assistance

Delaware County Emergency Rental Assistance

The DELCO Emergency Rental Assistance (DELCO ERA) grant program helps renters who suffered disruption and loss of income due to the COVID-19 pandemic with assistance with rent and utilities. The U.S. Treasury and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania allocated $37.2 million to fund DELCO ERA. The County engaged Capital Access, Inc, a grants management firm based in the Delaware Valley, to assist with program management. All funds must be expended by end of 2021.

CUSTOMER SERVICE:

Phone 484-729-4200

Email info@delco-era.com

How To Apply

See the Application Process section below for an overview of the steps in the process.

Apply Online:

Tenant Register

Landlord Register

Apply In-Person (by appointment only):

To schedule an appointment, call 484-729-4200 or email us at: info@delco-era.com.

In-person events are available if you...

Need technological help
Need language services

Need access to a computer
Do not have an email address

Need help scanning and uploading documents
Would prefer in-person assistance

Upcoming In-Person Assisted Intake Events:

Saturday July 31st
10am - 4pm (by appointment only)

Location:
Upper Darby Office
20 South 69th St.
Fourth Floor
Upper Darby, PA 19082

Application Process

1 REGISTRATION

REGISTRATION (1 of 2)

Click Tenant Registration link.
Provide your name, email, address, and preferred language.

REGISTRATION (2 of 2)

Go to the link provided in the Step 1 confirmation email.
Provide additional information to help expedite your registration submission.
Provide your landlord and utility information.

2 FULL APPLICATION

Go to your personal Applicant Portal link to access the Full Application
Complete and submit your Full Application.

3 DOCUMENT UPLOADS

Go to your Applicant Portal to upload verification documents such as Identification, Income sources, Lease, Utility Statement, etc.

4 VERIFICATION REVIEW

Respond to your Case Manager as soon as possible when you receive a call, text, or email requestion clarification.
Continue to review the status of your application through your Applicant Portal.

5 GRANT GENERATION

Look for your ERA grant approval notice by email.
Read your grant agreement for accuracy.
Sign the grant agreement online.

6 PAYMENT

Check your Applicant Portal to confirm your landlord and utility has been paid.

Registration. This is a two-step process. Step 1 is registering your information at the link above. You will then receive an email to complete Step 2. This step asks you to answer a few questions about your financial status to determine eligibility for the Program. You must complete both steps to proceed.
Once you have completed both Step 1 and Step 2 in the registration process a case manager will review your information.
- If you fail the Threshold Criteria, you will be notified by email with the reason.
- If it is determined that you pass the Threshold Criteria, you will get an email from us inviting you to submit the Full Application.
Once you are invited to apply, you will receive an email to submit your Full Application and all required documentation through your Portal.
Verification documentation could include:
- Photo Identification
- Evidence of Income Loss
- Evidence of Past Due rent and/or utilities
- Lease
When you have submitted your Full Application and complete set of verification documents, any grant for which you may be eligible will be calculated and paid quickly.

Threshold Criteria

Rental property address is located in the County.
Applicant household has suffered income loss and/or disruption due to Covid-19.
Applicant household income is no more than 80% AMI for household size.
Applicant household is at risk of homelessness or housing instability as documented with as past-due rent or utility notice, or an eviction notice.

Prioritization of Applications

Priority 1 is assigned to any application that meets at least one of the following criteria:

Rental property address is located in the County.
Applicant household has suffered income loss and/or disruption due to Covid-19.
Applicant household income is no more than 80% AMI for household size.
Applicant household is at risk of homelessness or housing instability as documented with as past-due rent or utility notice, or an eviction notice.

Priority 2 is assigned to any application that meets the Delco ERA’s Threshold Criteria, and does not meet any Priority 1 criteria.

Priority 1 applications begin processing before Priority 2 applications.

Landlords

If any of your tenants are behind on rent payments, encourage them to apply for the DELCO ERA. Register yourself and/or your company as a landlord to make their application process as smooth as possible.

If you have five (5) or more tenants behind on their rent, and they need assistance with the registration process, please let us know. We would be happy to schedule an in-person intake event with you and have a Delco ERA team member come to your offices to assist with the registration process. Please contact Tolga Yilmaz at tyilmaz@capitalaccessinc.com to schedule an in-person intake event today.

There is no cap on the amount of DELCO ERA rental assistance. The amount of the grant is calculated based on up to 12 months of past due rent and utility for renters who earn 80% of Area Median Income or below and experience disruption and/or income loss due to the COVID pandemic. In addition, many applicants will qualify for 3 months future rent based on their household income. We need your assistance to verify the lease terms and the amount of past due rent since April, 2020.

What to Expect:

Step 1: Registration. This enables our information system to link you with every applicant in your rental property and/or portfolio and set your own Landlord Portal. The Landlord Portal is where you can upload verification documents and payments forms so that we may expedite a direct payment to you on behalf of your tenants.

Step 2: Email with link to Landlord Portal. Once you are registered in the system, you will receive an email with a unique link to your personal Landlord/Property Management portal.

Step 3: Email with Request to Upload Landlord Affidavit and IRS Form W-9 for Payment. For each approved Tenant that completes their application, you will receive an email request to upload through your Portal the following documentation based on a specific Tenant.

Landlord Affidavit where you can verify lease terms and provide an itemization of past due rent
IRS W-9 Form

Please make sure to complete each step to receive payments. If you have more than one Tenant, you may receive multiple requests for documentation; however, you will only need to register once.

FAQs

Applicant

No, you do not have to be unemployed to qualify, but at least one person in your household must have experienced direct or indirect economic hardship as a result of the pandemic. Priority will be given to households with at least one person who has qualified for state unemployment benefits for at least the 90 days prior to the date of their Registration in this program.

No, we encourage our applicants to seek employment to ensure their long-term housing stability. An increase in household income after awarding of a grant under DELCO ERA will not affect your grant. It may, however, affect your ability to reapply for future assistance.

Providing U.S. citizenship documentation is not a program requirement.

Your address is based on your lease, not your driver’s license.

Yes – applicants currently involved in eviction proceedings may apply for DELCO ERA assistance. If the eviction was filed on or before January 31, 2021 for the sole reason of nonpayment of rent, you are eligible for priority processing. If you have already been evicted, DELCO ERA will not pay your former landlord. You may be eligible for assistance at your new rental address.

DELCO ERA will not pay your former landlord. The program is intended to help households stay in their current home. You may be eligible for assistance at your new rental address.

Yes, but applications are limited to one per household and the income of all members of the household must be documented and included in the application for funding to determine eligibility.

Yes – Applicant currently residing in an affordable housing unit (or subsidized housing) may be eligible for assistance. Assistance will be based on the applicant’s portion of the rent.

A household is every person living in the rental unit, including all children and adults, whether or not they are related.

HUD INCOME LIMITS 2020 for Delaware County, PA

Household Size	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
Very Low Income (50%)*	$33,850	$38,650	$43,500	$48,300	$52,200	$56,050	$59,900	$63,800
Low Income (80%)	$54,150	$61,850	$69,600	$77,300	$83,500	$89,700	$95,900	$102,050

County residents earning up to 80% of Area Median Income (AMI) are eligible for ERA assistance. *Priority will be given to households at or below 50% AMI. The income of every person 18 years or older, who is not in high school full time, is included in household income. Social Security or Disability payments made to a household for a child are included as income for the parent or guardian.

Following directive of U.S. Treasury guidance, our Case Managers request applicants submit income verification documents so we may calculate income eligibility for the program. These sources include:

A 2020 IRS 1040 tax return is the most efficient document for income eligibility;

3rd Party Income Verification Certification from a government or non-profit agency who conducted an income verification for the applicant in 2020;

Traditional sources of income verification such as pay stubs, w-2, 1099 and related income streams.

If after three attempts by DELCO ERA to obtain income verification documents, none of these documents are available, and if there does not appear a pattern of fraud, waste and/or abuse, we can accept an Attestation of Income from the Applicant.

We welcome and encourage property managers to help applicants obtain and upload income and related verification documents.

Yes – An applicant's bank account and cash on hand are considered and factored into our income calculation. It is very rare that such assets are large enough to disqualify an applicant.

Yes, for Priority 1 applicants only, we may be able to offer up to three (3) months of assistance for future rent and utilities.

Yes, Electric, Gas, Heating Oil, Water/Sewer, and Trash that is not included in your rent is eligible for assistance if you meet the eligibility criteria. You may receive assistance with up to three utilities from the following list. The account(s) must be in the name of a household member, and for your rental.

You may also consider applying to the LIHEAP Program for your heating needs, and to our Program for another utility bill.

Cable, Internet, cell phone and other telecommunications are not eligible for assistance from this Program. For assistance with the cost of your Internet service, the Federal Communications Commission may be an option - www.fcc.gov/broadbandbenefit

Utilities that are included in rent are considered part of your rent.

For Priority 1 applicants, the DELCO ERA program can cover up to the limit of 15 months of total assistance for rent and utilities, which may include up to 3 months of future assistance.

For Priority 2 applicants, the program can cover up to the limit of 12 months of total assistance for past-due rent and utilities.

Past-due rent and utilities may go as far back as April 1, 2020.

It does not matter if a month of DELCO ERA assistance is for rent only, utility only, or rent and utility -- it counts as one month toward the total assistance limit.

No, these expenses associated with new leases are not eligible from DELCO ERA.

No. Rent that has already been paid is not eligible for DELCO ERA assistance. You may be eligible for assistance with rent still due, and future rent.

Mortgage assistance is not eligible under this program.

No, please refer to the FCC for assistance. You may visit: https://www.fcc.gov/broadbandbenefit

There is not dollar limit on the size of the grant award. Applicants are eligible to receive up to twelve (12) months of back rent and certain utilities that are not included in rent. Priority 1 applicants are eligible for up to fifteen (15) months of assistance, which may include up to three (3) months of future rent and utility assistance.

Even though there is no specific cap on the amount of rental assistance, our staff is directed to do anti-fraud, waste and abuse analysis which includes:

Require submission of a signed and current lease that is compared to a Landlord Affidavit for consistency.
Rental Housing to Income ratio affordability analysis. If the rent far exceeds what a low-income tenant could reasonably afford, we reserve the option to conduct a deeper investigation into affordability and legitimacy of the rent charged.

Once we get all required documents from the applicant and landlord, and determine the applicant is eligible for an award, checks are emailed to the landlord and utilities, usually within five business days.

Please submit your application online at www.delco-era.com. There is a two-step process so please make sure you complete both step one and step two.

Applying online is smooth and user friendly. If you would like to schedule an in-person meeting please call (484) 729-4200.

A DELCO ERA team member can assist you with an in-person application session. Call (484) 729-4200 to schedule.

We have language translation services available.

Everyone who lives in the home or apartment is considered part of the household, whether they are related or not, and must be included in the application.

If you have Gmail, it is likely you will find the email in your Promotions folder in Gmail. You should also check your Spam or Trash folders.

If you still cannot locate the email, you may also call (484) 729-4200 to do an Assisted Intake over the phone.

An email will be automatically sent to the email address you used for registration. If you have not received an email, please check your spam filter. If you are still unable to locate the email, please register again at www.delco-era.com and double check your email address is entered correctly.

If you registered using an email address of a family member or friend and you want to change it, you must re-register.
If you registered using the wrong address, please inform your Case Manager.

The registration is two parts, please still go ahead and complete step 1 and verify your email address. As you complete step 2, you will be asked to provide your landlord email. If you do not have one, there is a button that allows you to submit a request for assistance here. Please complete the request, and an agent will research your landlord to find an email address. If they are successful, you will be informed of the landlord’s email.

An email address is a requirement of this program. If they are unable to create one on their own we would be delighted to help by scheduling an in-person appointment. Please have them call (484) 729-4200 and select option 2.

The best way to start the process is by you, the applicant, registering for the Program. As part of the registration process, you will be asked to provide your landlord’s email address. Once you register, your landlord will be invited to register for the Program. Alternatively, you may provide your landlord with the following link to register: https://capgms-delco.azurewebsites.net/registration?registeras=landlord

Yes. Applicants (and landlords) are assigned to a case manager to work with through the application process.

We have received a significant number of applications. Our Case Managers are working diligently to work through all Registered applicants. As soon as your Registration is reviewed, you will receive an email inviting you to submit your Full Application and your verification documents, and a link to get started.

Once you submit your Full Application your Case Manager will reach out to you to ask if you have questions or need assistance with uploading your verification documents.

When we invite you to submit your Full Application, we also reach out directly to your landlord for payment processing and other required documents.

You may submit a new application after the last day of the last month of the current assistance. Please refer to the term listed in your Grant Agreement for the exact date.

To be eligible for 100% of monthly rent and utilities, every adult on the lease must participate in the DELCO ERA application. This means they must provide their income documentation, and list the people, if any, that they bring to the household. If they choose not to participate for any reason, the monthly rent and utilities for a DELCO ERA award will be pro-rated. For instance, if three lessees are listed on the lease, and the Applicant is the only one participating, DELCO ERA will cover one-third (1/3) of the rent and utility amounts.

Two options are available if another adult listed as a lessee (renter) on the lease no longer live there:

You can work with the Landlord to sign a lease amendment to include only the individual(s) still responsible for paying the rent, and provide that amendment document to DELCO ERA.
We will pro-rate the rent and utilities amount.
For example, if you and two others are listed as lessees, and the two others have vacated, then DELCO ERA will pay for one-third (1/3) of the rent and utilities.

If you and two others are listed as lessees, and one of the others has vacated, and the other lessee is participating in the program, DELCO ERA will pay for two-thirds of the rent and utilities.

You can get the status of your request for funding by logging into your unique CAPGMS Application Portal.

Refer to the email you received after registering for instructions on accessing your Application Portal.

If you cannot locate the email please attempt to re-register using the same email address. The system will not allow you to apply twice but it will generate and automatic email message with the link to your Application Portal.

Applicants wishing to file an appeal of a decision about their case can obtain a DELCO ERA Appeal Form from their Case Manager. U.S. Treasury rules about the ERA program, and DELCO ERA Program Guidelines are not subject to appeal.

On the Appeal form include:

DELCO ERA Application ID#;
Name;
Address;
A description of the DELCO ERA decision they are challenging;
A complete and concise description of why they disagree with the DELCO ERA decision;
Documentation to support their claim, if any.

Appeals are decided by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. Send your appeal via U.S. Mail to:

Pennsylvania Department of Human Services
Office of Hearings and Appeals
P.O. Box 2675
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17105

Upload a copy of your appeal to your DELCO ERA document portal.

Pennsylvania DHS will provide, in writing, its decision about the appeal to the Applicant, and to Delaware County.

Any award will be made directly to your landlord or property management company. Likewise, any utility assistance will be made directly to your utility provider.

We are prepared to process the payments quickly. Once we have received the required verification documents from you and your landlord, and the application is approved for funding, a grant agreement will be emailed to you for your electronic signature. Once also signed by this program the funds will be released, usually within five business days.

The award is based on:

The amount of past-due rent, less any rental benefit previously received for the months requested.

plus

The amount of past-due utilities, less any utility benefit previously received for the months requested.

For Priority 1 Applicants, there is a limit of 15 months of total assistance, which may include up to three months of future rent and utility.

For Priority 2 Applicants, there is a limit of 12 months of total assistance, for past-due rent and utilities only.

You may still apply for the DELCO ERA Program. DELCO ERA utility assistance may be provided toward any eligible utility balance.

An Applicant that received rental assistance from another source in the past year is eligible to apply for DELCO ERA and may still be eligible to receive assistance from the Program. Applicants who previously received rent assistance from another source shall not receive DELCO ERA assistance for the months where they previously received rent assistance, unless an outstanding balance still remains for any of those months. You will be asked to provide your Grant Agreement from the other program(s) that provide assistance.

Landlord/Property Manager

The Digital Divide, especially among lower income populations is a challenge when running a direct service program with an online application. By having Landlords register we reduce the risk of bad data in the system because of data entry errors.

Registration with the DELCO-ERA does not bind the landlords to the program. It does make filling out the Registration easier for your tenants who apply. If you choose not to participate then the tenant(s) will not receive assistance as the DELCO ERA funds must be paid directly to the landlord on the tenant’s behalf.

An email address is a requirement of this program. If you are unable to create one on your own we would be delighted to help by scheduling an in-person appointment. Please call (484) 729-4200 and select option 2.

As a landlord you may register for the Program at the following link: https://capgms-delco.azurewebsites.net/registration?registeras=landlord .

Registering online is smooth and user friendly. If you would rather schedule an in-person meeting please call (484) 729-4200.

You should not register your tenant single-handedly. We recommend you support and collaborate with your tenant for their application. Your tenant may find it particularly helpful if you were to invite them to your management office and assist them in completing the application and supplying the requisite documents.

Yes, you can still register as a landlord even if you do not live in Delaware County as long as your rental property is located within the County.

There is not dollar limit on the size of the grant award. Priority 1 applicants are eligible to receive up to fifteen (15) months of total assistance, which may include up to 3 months of future rent and utilities. For Priority 2 applicants, the maximum assistance is up to twelve (12) months of past-due rent and utilities.

Even though there is no specific cap on the amount of rental assistance, our staff is directed to do anti-fraud, waste and abuse analysis which includes:

Require submission of a signed and current lease that is compared to the required Landlord Affidavit for consistency.
Rental Housing to Income ratio affordability analysis. If the rent far exceeds what a low-income tenant could reasonably afford, we reserve the option to conduct a deeper investigation into affordability and legitimacy of the rent charged.

Only two documents are required from the landlord for each tenant who has applied to DELCO ERA:

Landlord Affidavit
W-9

Landlords must submit a Landlord Affidavit where they:

Confirm terms and conditions of the lease for the particular tenant.
Disclose if Landlord and tenant participated in the PHFA Rent Relief Program in 2020.
Specify month by month for past due rent.
Specify which utilities, if any, are included in rent.
Commit to cooperate with assisting the tenant to obtain and provide verification documents to expedite processing.
Commit not proceed with any evictions for at least three months after the last month of rent assisted with DELCO ERA grant funds.
Commit to apply the DELCO ERA grant funds received on behalf of the tenant towards specific months as stated in the Landlord Affidavit.

Delco ERA is not able to provide assistance for tenants who do not apply for the program.

This information is collected strictly for program reports required by the U.S. Treasury, the source of ERA funds. Your number is used by DELCO ERA only for the required reports, and is stored securely.

A W-9 form is a way for you to provide your Taxpayer Identification Number (also known as your business’ Employer ID Number (EIN) or your Social Security Number (SSN)). ERA is taxable income for a rental property business. The DELCO ERA program will send one 1099 form to every landlord that receives payment from the program.

DELCO ERA is not qualified to provide tax advice. Please consult a tax professional.

In the email you receive, simply click the “Get Check” link. Then print the check and deposit or cash it as you would any other check. Here is a sample email:

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