Apply for Delaware County Emergency Rental Assistance

Delaware County Emergency Rental Assistance

Delaware County Emergency Rental Assistance Program is closed.

DELCO ERA has allocated all of its available funding. Additional funding is not anticipated.

Applications currently in our system are not being processed, and no new or subsequent applications are being accepted.

If your household is in need of assistance, please see this list of resources.

If you are facing eviction from your home, you may contact Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania at 877-429-5994 or go to www.lasp.org for advice.

DELCO ERA represented an extraordinary partnership among Delaware County, tenants and their landlords and utility providers, Community Partners, the Eviction Court system, and Program Manager Capital Access.

The U.S. Treasury and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania established the program to assist low-income renters during the Covid emergency. The funds also helped the applicants’ landlords and utility companies, large and small, weather the crisis. Here is how DELCO ERA helped the greater Delaware County Community:

As of September 12, 2023, the program has processed 13,266 grants.
The average grant is $5,752 for 6.51 months of rent and/or utility assistance.
2,906 grants have helped households avoid a court-ordered eviction.
Average annual household income is $23,,185.
11,621 of all grants (87.6%) benefitted households earning 50% or less of Area Median Income. 7,229 of all grants (54.5%) benefitted households earning 30% or less of AMI.
7,337 of all grants helped households with children remain in their homes.

We celebrate these accomplishments!

CUSTOMER SERVICE:

Phone 484-729-4200

Fax 610-672-9948

Email info@delco-era.com

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 to request 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.

The Application Process has multiple parts:

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.
A case manager will review your information.
- If you pass the Threshold Criteria Review, you will get an email from us with a website address to your Applicant Portal, and inviting you to submit the Full Application.
- If you fail the Threshold Criteria Review, you will be notified by email with the reason.
Submit your Full Application and all required documentation through your Portal. Verification documentation includes but is not limited to:
- Photo Identification
- Household Income
- Evidence of Past Due rent and/or utilities
- Complete 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 during or 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 a past-due rent or utility notice, or an eviction notice.

Prioritization of Applications

All eligible applications will be accepted, but there may be a priority in funding for Priority 1 applications.

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

Household Income is 50% or less of Area Median Income (AMI) for household of that size.*
Household with at least 1 person unemployed who has an active claim with a state Office of Unemployment for at least the 90 days prior to date of Registration with this Program.*
Household with a verified eviction proceeding in the Delaware County court system, with a docket number, for the reason of non-payment of rent.
•Re-housing for a household that does not currently occupy a leased rental unit and obtains a lease for a rental between and including the date of application to Delco ERA, and 60 days following that date.

*Will be considered on a priority basis per Pennsylvania Department of Human Services Guidance.

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

Applications for Subsequent Assistance

If you previously applied for Delco ERA assistance and still face housing instability you may apply again. Delco ERA will process first-time applicants and subsequent assistance applicants with highest needs. Applicants interested in submitting a subsequent application are encouraged to complete an Expression of Interest form through their Delco ERA Applicant Portal. You can find the link to your Delco ERA Applicant Portal from the cover page of your grant agreement.

Applicants interested in submitting a subsequent application are encouraged to complete an Expression of Interest form through their Delco ERA Applicant Portal. You can find the link to your Delco ERA Applicant Portal from the cover page of your grant agreement.

Maximum Amount of Assistance

The maximum number of months of Delco ERA assistance a household may receive is 18. This a U.S. Treasury program rule.

Any calendar month for which a household receives any assistance counts as one (1) month. This is true regardless of the dollar amount received in that month, and regardless of whether it was for rent only, utility only, or rent and utility. Households who have already received 18 months of assistance cannot re-apply for Delco ERA.

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.

We will also ask for your assistance to verify the lease terms and the amount of past due rent since April, 2020; however, DelcoERA is able to fund ren relief payments directly to households without landlord participation.

What to Expect:

If any of your tenants previously applied to Delco ERA and you received email from Delco ERA, you are already registered for the program. You do not need to re-register. You will receive email notification from Delco ERA each time one of your tenants submits their Full Application.

If you are new to the program, you will be invited to register as soon as any of your tenants complete an application. You may also register for the Program at the following link: Registration is now closed.

These are the steps to register with Delco ERA:

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 payment 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.

Fraud

Delco ERA Program seeks to serve as many qualified applicants as feasible with the limited funds on hand, and fraud takes away from the funds available to qualified applicants. All applications to Delco ERA are subject to multiple reviews for potential fraud. Delco ERA can notify the Delaware County District Attorney or other appropriate law enforcement of potential fraud, and all documentation submitted to Delco ERA will be available to law enforcement.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

FAQs

Applicant

One or more individuals within the household has qualified for unemployment benefits OR experienced a reduction in household income, incurred significant costs, or experienced other financial hardship during or due to the coronavirus pandemic; AND
One or more individuals within the household can demonstrate a risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability; AND
The household is a low-income family.

You may re-apply unless you have already received the maximum of 18 months of assistance or if a previous application contained inconsistencies that were indications of potential fraud. If you are eligible to reapply, there will be a “Re-apply” button in your applicant Portal beginning July 10, 2023. The assistance available will be limited to a total of 18 months, including all past awards from DELCO ERA.

HUD INCOME LIMITS 2022 for Delaware County, PA

Household Size	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
Low Income (80%)	$59,050	$67,450	$75,900	$84,300	$91,050	$97,800	$104,550	$111,300
Very Low Income (50%)*	$36,900	$42,200	$47,450	$52,700	$56,950	$61,150	$65,350	$69,600

County residents earning up to 80% of Area Median Income (AMI) are eligible for ERA assistance.
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.
*Priority will be given to households at or below 50% AMI.

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

The household’s 2022 IRS 1040 tax return(s). This is the most efficient documention for determining income eligibility;

Rental unit is in a census tract with average income of no more than 80% AMI;

Proof of enrollment in a federal or state benefits program that has a household income limit of no more than 80% AMI;

Current income documentation for all sources of household income, including pay stubs, statements for other benefit programs, pensions, unemployment, etc.

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.

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 during or due to 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.

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

Your address is based on your lease, not your driver’s license. You may, however, need to provide other proof that you live at the address on the lease.

Yes – applicants currently involved in eviction proceedings may apply for DELCO ERA assistance. You must meet program requirements and the assistance (together with other funds) must be sufficient to allow you to stay in your home.
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 or eligible for rehousing assistance for a new residence.

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 or eligible for rehousing assistance for a new residence.

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 – Applicants 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.

Yes – An applicant's bank account and cash on hand are considered and factored into our income calculation. Such assets would usually need to be significant 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 DELCO ERA 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’s Affordable Connectivity Program may be an option - https://www.fcc.gov/acp

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

Rent: DELCO ERA can cover unpaid up rent to the limit of 18 months of total assistance. For Priority 1 applicants, up to 3 months of future assistance may be included.

Utilities: DELCO ERA can cover the entire amount of your current utility bill, for up to three utilities. No assistance for future utility bills is provided.

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

Only as part of rehousing assistance for a new residence.

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’s Affordable Connectivity Program for information https://www.fcc.gov/acp

There is no dollar limit on the size of the grant award. The maximum number of months of Delco ERA assistance a household may receive is 18. This a U.S. Treasury program rule.

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.

After 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.

If you are without a permanent residential address, or are in a situation where it is not likely you will be able to remain at your current address, you may be eligible for re-housing assistance if you have a lease that starts within 60 days of your application. As well as rent, assistance can include a security deposit, landlord fees associated with obtaining and moving into a rental (application fee, credit check, key fee, etc.) and utility deposits.

Registration is now closed

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.

You may 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 for further assistance.

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 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’s email address. If you are unable to provide the email, please contact Customer Service at (484) 729-4200.

An email address is a requirement of this program. If they are unable to create one on their own, please have them call Customer Service at (484) 729-4200.

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: Registration is now closed.

Yes. Applicants (and landlords) are assigned to one 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.

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 Applicant Portal.

Refer to the email you received after registering for instructions on accessing your Applicant 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 in your Applicant Portal or from their Case Manager.

Program guidance from the U.S. Department of Treasury or the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania may not be appealed.

Landlords may not appeal a DELCO ERA decision.

The form includes:

Date of Appeal
DELCO ERA Application ID#
Email Address
Name
Mailing Address
The DELCO ERA decision they being appealed
Date of the DELCO ERA decision
A complete and concise reason for the appeal
Documentation to support their claim, if any.

Appeals may be submitted to:

Delaware County will provide the applicant with a written decision within 60 days of receipt of the appeal.

Any award generally will be made directly to your landlord or property management company. Likewise, any utility assistance will be generally made directly to your utility provider. In the case of some evictions, or certain special circumstances, other arrangements for payment may be made.

We are prepared to process the payments quickly. After 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.

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 same months for which 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

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, any rent assistance for which your tenant may be eligible will be sent to the tenant.

An email address is a requirement of this program. If you are unable to create one, please call (484) 729-4200 and select option 2.

As a landlord you may register for the Program at the following link: Registration is now closed.

Registering online is smooth and user friendly. If are not able to apply online or have difficulties with the online application, please call (484) 729-4200.

You cannot register your tenant without the tenant’s participation. 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. Your tenant’s approval of an application is required by law.

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 no dollar limit on the size of the grant award. The maximum number of months of Delco ERA assistance a household may receive is 18. This a U.S. Treasury program rule.

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.

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 to not proceed with any evictions against a tenant receiving Delco ERA assistance for the first time for at least two months after the last month of rent assisted with DELCO ERA grant funds.
For tenants for whom assistance has been provided more than once, commit to not proceed with any evictions for at least one month 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. Your tenant’s approval of an application is required by law.

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:

Press Releases

Delco ERA Program Wind Down - August 29, 2022 Press Release

Delco ERA Phase 2 - December 13, 2021 Press Release

Delco ERA May Momentum - April 30, 2021 Press Release

Delco ERA Launch - March 26, 2021 Press Release

Community Partners