Applicants who reside in subsidized housing, such as Low-Income Housing Credit, Public Housing, or Indian Housing Block Grant-assisted housing are eligible for the tenant-owed portion of rent, if the household has not or will not be reimbursed funds by another federal assistance program. We will continue to press the state for answers. That is exactly what Bisono did in her answer to the judge. OUR Florida has created resources available for Landlords and Property Managers. Florida Landlord Tenant Walk Through Checklist blog the latest from the legal world we believe a more informed member is a more prepared one explore our blog . And here I am with no rental assistance even though I definitely qualify. Learn More. Approved Pending Landlord This means that an ERAP Caseworker has determined that based on the information in the application, we can approve the request, but are waiting for the Landlord to provide additional information before it can be processed for payment. SOURCE: Housing defense attorney with Jacksonville Area Legal Aid James Tyer ANSWER: No, landlords do not have to accept Our Florida payments and you can still be evicted even if approved for. CLEARWATER, Fla. Residential evictions continue to increase in Tampa Bay, but some of these evictions are happening while residents are waiting for emergency rental assistance from programs. Florida spent less than 3% of $870 million allocated for landlords An I-Team investigation revealed renters being evicted while waiting on a slice of the $870 million allocated to the DCF's. Find your Local Continuum of Care. The department of children and families governs it. Florida tenants continue to wait for desperately needed help from the Our Florida program. The programs are administered at. Press J to jump to the feed. That's BS. Yep, same here my friend. How can there be accountability?? A request for reconsideration is a request from an applicant, a tenant or landlord, to re-review their file for eligibility or re-review the amount of assistance when the applicant disagrees with the outcome of a programmatic decision. If a landlord has chosen or is required to return rental assistance funds to OUR Florida, they are required to make payments in the form of a check payable to Tidal Basin Consulting and mailed to: OUR Florida2002 Old St. Augustine Rd., Building CTallahassee, FL 32301. MyFloridaMyFamily is an online resource that connects individuals and families with resources in their local community. I'm at a lost for words at this point. My 12 month lease ended February 28 2020. OUR Florida has paid out $23.2 million to 5,403 households.. When counting the 3 day notice period, do not include the first day of service, weekends or . Thats our system, Bisono said. Have qualified for unemployment, experienced a loss of income, incurred significant costs or faced financial hardships due to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency; and, Attestation by the landlord who can be identified as the verified owner or management agent of the unit. Once an application is submitted, it is reviewed to determine if the applicant is eligible and to calculate payment. I am a landlord. Applicants with non-responsive landlords may submit their request for reconsideration within twenty (20) business days from the date of notice of program determination. How will OUR Florida confirm that applicants are eligible? I went on ourflorida submitted a complaint today and was approved later tonight ----I hope this helps, on the main page under application assistance. The money is being sent to the landlord so why would they need to see my bank account? If any additional information is needed from you, your case manager will request it via the OUR Florida Portal. At the time that Pinellas County was going to send me a check, they saw that OUR Florida was sending me a check out, so Pinellas County canceled it, Pasko explained. Have qualified for unemployment, experienced a loss of income, incurred significant costs or faced financial hardships due to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. Be delinquent with rent or utilities payment or at risk of falling behind. Landlord in all their infinite wisdom decided to get a snail mail check rather than DD. Here I was thinking that QC was a separate entity on the approval line.i was wrong. Hello , Thank you and I'm glad it worked out for you. It is through the state of Florida. Yes, I've also applied for the "erap assistance in my city" but the applications are sooo backed up I've been waiting over 4 months for them.. There are multiple ways to prove a risk of homelessness or housing instability, including: Landlords or tenants will submit an application online at www.OURFlorida.com. Since the pandemic happened getting anything has been like pulling teeth. On October 3, she got her first eviction notice. I have literally called them a dozen times and every time I call they say that I have everything I need. She made me feel horrible as I'm a single mother with three little kids trying to get back on my feet. The day before Thanksgiving, Pasko reached someone at DCF on the phone who told her the check was now voided and another check would be sent. The IRS has published guidance specific to ERAP: Are there other programs that can help me pay for rent and/or utilities? If this is just about money, and you have everything owed including late and court fees, then the landlord may agree to accept full payment and dismiss the case. She didnt realize you could only apply to one. Benefits are paid directly to the landlord or utility provider. And these are the things I speak about. Im in Palm Beach County and I was approved for 3 months in February 2021. A Florida landlord has a legal right to take certain actions, such as increasing a tenant's rent. In Florida, landlords can legally reject an application that doesn't meet their criteria such as bad references, a s ACCESS Florida provides an application for Food Assistance, Cash Assistance, and Medicaid, and allows applicants to view or update their case, make changes, and receive updates about their application from DCF. May 17th I applied. No one seems to know anything. Has anyone experienced this? She read that to ABC Action News on November 23. Some forums can only be seen by registered members. She currently has 15 clients waiting on thousands of dollars from OUR Florida. Im a single mom of 2 as well. I actually had to say these same things to my worker. An applicant qualifying under this section must provide an attestation. OUR Florida provided me with the necessary relief to keep a roof over my head. I even spoke to a supervisor. Many cities and counties throughout Florida offer rental assistance to support Florida families to help get them on the road to economic self-sufficiency. Here's the person that will send you a screenshot with the check number and the date it was dispersed that would be my ask, Roberg said. It's going to be here soon, it's going to be here soon, Pasko said. The landlord may also enter under any of the following circumstances: TAMPA, Fla. An ABC Action News I-Team investigation found that more local tenants face eviction while . I applied almost a month now, I live in an apartment complex and spoke with my Leasing office they did their portion last week and notified me. My main concern is they are a asking for a lot of personal information thats nit being secured. The process of getting help is kinda sickening when u think about it. A landlord may help a tenant complete the application, but the tenant must sign it. These services include rapid rehousing and rental and utility assistance. I also got a separate email, directly after the official approval, stating that I'm eligible for recertification as well. Bisono said shes been applying for jobs nonstop. A place for users of Florida's unemployment/reemployment assistance program to share information and tips about how to use and proceed through the arcane and confusing Florida assistance system. Ahhh so I was not the only one. FHA programs assisted nearly 2 million homeowners stay in their homes, including 165,800 in Florida. An I-Team investigation revealed renters being evicted while waiting on a slice of the $870 million allocated to the DCF's Our Florida program to help pandem. How to Apply: The application to the Rebuild Florida Business Loan Fund can be found here. Does anyone have a similar situation where u were approved but the system does not reflect it? Arizona Lease Agreement with eSign EZ Landlord Forms April 17th, 2019 - Our Arizona lease is designed with legal help that keeps your . I'm waiting day by day, District of Clearwater resident Sarah Pasko told ABC Action News. The Emergency Solutions Grant provides funding for emergency services to individuals and families who are homeless or facing homelessness. She said to me that wasn't her intention. Mines didnt even wait for three days as instantly the late fees etc started showing up although they can see that I had applied as they sent in an application on my behalf. I continued to make monthly payments. I applied to ERAP 2.5 months ago and our Florida like 5 weeks ago and nothing. Please answer the questions here to determine if you are eligible. Theyve admitted their website upload feature and email with link is down. Both landlord and I are approved. Copyright 2021 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wow and your landlord waited for two months. At that point, its up to the judge to decide.. So I wrote a complaint to OURFlorida fully explaining and asking what I could do. If I live in CITY/COUNTY that has an Emergency Rental Assistance Program, can I still apply for OUR Florida assistance? OUR Florida is a program of the Florida Department of Children and Families. So it's sort of just a circle that our clients keep going in.. My team tries to reach out to representatives at OUR Florida, we do not get any email responses, Roberg exclaimed, We have sent clients to the in-person offices that are allegedly available for in-person assistance, and our clients tell us that they get sent from the Largo office to the Tampa office or the Tampa office, they're told to call to you know, the online help number. But waiting was not something Bisonos landlord was willing to do. Estimated wait time for approval on our Florida rental asst. Most states have lifted their . Payments for electricity, gas, water and sewer, and trash removal may only be approved for separate charges to the client must be made directly to utilities. Approved Pending Payment This means we have received all the information we need to Any one of the following documents can be used to provide proof of identification: Any one of the following documents can be used to provide proof of a living arrangement: If no lease or attestation by the landlord is available, the renter must demonstrate a minimum pattern of three months of rent payments (such as cancelled checks or bank statements that identify the landlord and purpose of payments). So Bisono was shocked when she learned OUR Florida the states federally-funded relief program to help residents and businesses with unpaid rent and utility bills paid out her former landlord a month after Bisono already lost her eviction case. Your application is currently In Review and will be processed in the order it was received. OUR Florida program will work in close partnership with local city and county governments, and other entities, to ensure assistance is not duplicative.. QC according to her=caseworker. To be eligible for benefits, renters must: As of July 13, 2021, OUR Florida has paid more than $3.9 million in rental or utility assistance to 869 individuals with an additional $24 million obligated to more than 7,030 clients approved as eligible for assistance, which is anticipated to be disbursed by the end of the month. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. How do I provide proof that I incurred significant costs due to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency? Acosta Palmer said when tenants do get a court date to plead their case, the biggest and most common mistake they make is admitting they were late on rent to begin with. They have to go ahead and evict these tenants.. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. The application must be signed by the renter and required documentation may be submitted by the landlord on behalf of the renter, to the extent feasible. LL is correct and customer service rep from OUR FL said whoever is our case manager hasnt touched whole file since 11/3. Our Florida I feel is just a sham. If a household does not have a signed lease, monthly rental amounts may be documented by: If no lease or attestation by the landlord is available, the renter must demonstrate a minimum of three months pattern of rent payments (such as canceled checks or bank statements that identify the landlord and purpose of payments). I also took a couple of days. Florida received more than $870 million to distribute for rent and utility relief, through Our Florida, a program under the Department of Families and Children. My rent is higher than the maximum payment for eligible households. <>/ExtGState<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/MediaBox[ 0 0 612 792] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>>