Newark, NJ–June 30, 2021—Mayor Ras J. Baraka today announced that Newark will launch a third round of its Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP), leveraging $14 million in federal funding from the U.S. Treasury made available through the American Rescue Plan. The allocation of this round of ERAP was shaped by Newark’s commitment to equitable growth and is part of a larger package of recovery initiatives that will be launched over the next eight weeks.

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Qualifying households will be able to receive up to 15 months of assistance towards arrears or future rent, and, in some cases, the possibility of utility assistance.

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“COVID-19 continues to impact our communities, shining a light on long-term economic inequalities and causing acute short-term needs – like keeping current with rent while struggling with job losses or reduced hours,” said Mayor Baraka. “Our Emergency Rental Assistance programs will help more than 6,000 Newark residents remain in their homes and avoid the crushing debt that can lead to evictions. This is a critical part of our Equitable Recovery Summer and our Newark Forward vision for a more equitable and inclusive city.”

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The $14 million in ERAP announced today follows two previous rounds of rental assistance provided by the City, which have helped more than 1,900 Newark households stay in their homes during the pandemic. These rounds were funded through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

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Property owners are encouraged to pre-register once landlord registration goes live on July 19 to receive direct payments on behalf of approved tenants. Newark tenants will be able to apply for the program once the tenant application goes live on July 26.

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“Building on lessons learned from the first rounds of ERAP, the City has enhanced its third round of rental assistance,” said Allison Ladd, Deputy Mayor and Director of Economic and Housing Development. “We can now provide rental assistance directly to tenants, enabling applicants who live in buildings where a landlord has not registered for the program to receive assistance, and we have made the application process more user friendly.”

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Bloomberg Associates, a pro bono consulting firm that works with cities and mayors around the world, worked with the City across all three funding rounds to help analyze data on applicants and recipients and determine the gaps in assistance. The City also engaged Ernst-Young in partnership with Microsoft to administer the program, providing a more user-friendly application portal and expedited application and payment processing.

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The City will partner with local community-based organizations to provide additional outreach and application support to tenants, particularly households that do not have internet access, speak a language other than English, or have disabilities. Additional program details can be found at www.NewarkCOVID19.com‍

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QUALIFICATIONS FOR ASSISTANCE‍

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The application process will be managed by the City of Newark Department of Economic and Housing Development (EHD). To ensure the most vulnerable households receive assistance, applicants who have been unemployed for more than 90 days or have a household income at or below 50 percent of AMI will be prioritized.

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To receive assistance, applicants must:

• Be a Newark resident.
• Have a 2020 household income at or below 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI) in Newark.
• Either qualify for unemployment or have experienced a reduction in household income due to COVID-19.
• Be currently responsible for paying rent at their primary residence.
• Be currently responsible for paying utilities for their primary residence (unless utilities are included in their rent).‍

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‍NEWARK’S EQUITABLE RECOVERY SUMMER‍

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The Expanded Emergency Rental Assistance Program is the third of a package of recovery initiatives that Mayor Baraka will be launching over the coming weeks including:

• Equitable Economic Recovery Plan.
• “Back Together Again,” a series of community solidarity events.
• Expanded emergency rental assistance.
• Expanded small business emergency assistance.
• Five-year affordable housing goals.
• A portal of available affordable housing.
• Additional neighborhood redevelopment designations.
• NewarkGo, a low cost transportation pilot using dockless bikes and e-scooters.

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- NEWARK -