Oneida County Seeks Landlord Input for Rental Assistance Funding

Survey Now Available Online

Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente Jr. announced today that the county is seeking input from landlords who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in order to disperse more than $6 million in federal rental assistance funding.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has upended our community on many levels, and the situation with landlords and tenants is a prime example,” Picente said. “While no tenant should ever lose a home due to hardship caused by this pandemic, neither should landlords be made to suffer financially because of tenants taking advantage of the Governor’s executive order. This federal money we have secured will help alleviate the problem on both ends.”

In January 2021, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Department of the Treasury established an Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP), under which New York State, and counties and cities with populations of at least 200,000, were eligible upon application to request funding. Oneida County applied and was awarded $6,782,715.10.

The ERAP will provide a supplement for rental and/or utility arrears. It will make payments to landlords, with specific stipulations the landlords must follow (i.e. provide the tenant with documentation, obtain the tenant’s signature, retain confidentiality of tenant’s information.

Eligible households may receive up to 12 months of rental and/or utility assistance. Arrears must be paid first before prospective rent can be paid. Three months of prospective rent can be covered if the tenant is deemed eligible.

The Oneida County Department of Family and Community Services is working with landlords to determine program eligibility and is requesting that they participate in a survey to assess need and determine funding allocation.

The survey can be accessed HERE. It is scheduled to remain open until April 1.