Community Advocates manages federal and municipal funds to financially support needy tenants in Milwaukee and Waukesha County. If you have experienced financial difficulties during the Covid-19 pandemic and are in arrears with rent or utilities, you may be eligible for rent assistance. Please read the FAQ below to make sure you meet the eligibility criteria, then click on the link to complete an application in our secure application portal. You can also pick up and drop off a printed application at our downtown office at 728 North James Lovell Street, Monday through Friday, 9 a..m. to .m.m. Waukesha County residents can collect and submit paper applications at these locations. Reasonable accommodation for people with disabilities is available. Please let us know if you need adequate accommodation to apply for ERAP. Examples of reasonable arrangements available include assistance in applying for a PRAP, providing documents in another format, including Braille, audio file (CD), data format (file accessible to screen readers on CD) and large print (18-point font) as desired, or TTY relay communication. As part of our application process, your case manager will assess your situation for case management services and other resources to further stabilize your property. Additionally, as the home location for the new Milwaukee Rental Housing Resource Center, you can be put in touch with the triage team for additional referrals for mediation and legal services. Visit communityadvocates.net or renthelpmke.org for more information about support services. Depending on the address of your rental property, you may be eligible for a local program.

Click Apply Now to determine which program is right for you. The landlord or licensed property management company must also agree to the following terms and conditions as a condition of accepting rent arrears: You are eligible for rent assistance if you meet the following requirements: Seven municipalities that have received funding directly from the federal government for emergency rent assistance have chosen to manage their own programs. Residents of the City of Rochester and Monroe County, the City of Yonkers, Onondaga County, and the cities of Hempstead, Islip, and Oyster Bay with incomes of up to 80% AMI are not eligible for assistance from the state-administered program and must apply for emergency rent through their local programs. Residents of these municipalities can apply for the government-funded household program if their income is between 80% and 120% of the MAI. Residents of these communities may be eligible for assistance from the state-run Emergency Rent Assistance Program if their locally administered program spends all of its money. Individuals who can complete the application online or by phone should do so and not complete these forms. These forms are intended for use by tenants who cannot apply online or as reference materials so that landlords, tenants and utilities can understand what they must accept if they choose to participate in the program. Tenants and landlords can ask for help. To address this need, the Emergency Rent Assistance Program provides funding to support households that are unable to pay rent or utilities. Two separate programs have been established: ERA1 provides up to $25 billion under the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, which came into effect on December 27, 2020, and ERA2 provides up to $21.55 billion under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which came into effect on March 11, 2021.

Funds are provided directly to states, U.S. territories, local governments, and (in the case of ERA1) Native American tribes. Fellows use the funds to provide support to eligible households through existing or newly created rent support programs. IMPORTANT NOTE: The Resume a Saved Application feature is available to applicants who have created an account. Applicants are encouraged to collect all necessary information before starting an application, including household members` income and rent amounts. Applicants who have already started an application, but have not completed and signed it, must create an account in order to pursue an incomplete application. If you need help or have any questions, you can email a member of our team renthelp@communityadvocates.net. Applicants can also apply by calling the Rent Assistance Line at 414-270-4646. Our current processing time is 21 to 30 days. Additional time may be required if the case manager determines that your receipts need to be updated. To ensure that the process goes as smoothly as possible, be sure to upload all the necessary documents. Payments are made on behalf of the tenant directly to the owner/owner and utility company.

Applicant tenants will be informed of the amounts paid on their behalf. If a landlord is difficult to find or does not provide other information necessary to complete the application, the funds will be kept for up to 180 days to have enough time to find the landlord and collect the necessary information, as well as to ensure the protection of the tenant and maximize the involvement of the landlord. .