Kara Lachapelle,
Chief Financial Officer
Providence, RI –
RIHousing today announced the launch of a new webpage and sign up form for Rhode Island renters and landlords interested in the state’s new rental assistance program. RentReliefRI is the agency’s new rent relief program scheduled to be rolled out at the end of March. Interested applicants can sign up now to receive email notifications once a launch date has been announced.
Funded via $200 million in rent relief funds from the federal Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) Program, the new rental assistance program known as RentReliefRI will help eligible Rhode Island renters struggling to pay their rent or utilities as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The COVID-19 crisis continues to impact Rhode Islanders across the state,” said Carol Ventura, Executive Director of RIHousing. “These new federal funds will help struggling renters remain in their homes.”
Previous rental assistance programs known as HousingHelp RI and Safe Harbor have expended all of their available funding and have closed. Those renters who previously applied for rental assistance through those programs but did not receive assistance due to lack of funding, will be prioritized in this new program.
When the new program launches later this month, applicants will be able to sign up for assistance using an online portal. Assistance completing applications will be available via a network of partners throughout the state. Interested tenants and landlords may sign up to receive email alerts for when the program launches. Program information, eligibility criteria and the sign up for e-alerts can be found online at: www.RentReliefRI.com.
“We understand the urgency and the need for help and are working to launch the program and to provide Rhode Islanders with the help they need,” said Ventura. “In the meantime, we encourage both tenants and landlords to go online, sign up for our email notifications, and review the information and eligibility criteria so they can be as prepared as possible when the program launches.”
This program is only for renters and their landlords. It does not provide assistance to homeowners having difficulty making their mortgage payments.
