Note: An ERAP determination is an approval or denial of the ERAP application. Month-to-Month Lease - The tenant's death will act as the 30-day notice. and our Despite shutting it down on March 15 after receiving 17,000 applications, the county had not sent out any money as of April 28, officials said. State agencies, under Floridas public record law, are required to allow inspection of contracts. Pasko is a dental hygienist who also takes care of her 74-year-old mother, Pamela Balcom. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. There are people right now on the edge of eviction because the Our Florida . Section 28.35, Section 28.36 and Section 28.37 of the Florida Statutes describe the duties of the . 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 . Landlord or Apartment Company's Name. Palm Beach Countys portal opens for the first 10 days of each month. You may not apply to a county's waiting list before the opening date and time. fire or natural disaster) your landlord needs to give you prior notice before entering the premises. About 1,400 did not qualify but are allowed to resubmit corrected applications, Malhotra said. And that will be useful for many local renters because application portals for assistance programs run by Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties are currently closed while workers process thousands of applications received so far. TAMPA, Fla. An ABC Action News I-Team investigation found that more local tenants face eviction while . Eligible renters can qualify for 12 months of past-due rent and utilities and three months of future payments if their financial situation does not improve. But the family does have one powerful source of motivation to push forward: baby Tahj. Theres no one to catch me, no couch I can sleep on its just me.. To get that protection, you'll need to attest on a declaration form that you meet a few requirements, such as that you earned less than $99,000 in 2020 or 2021. Early studies found that many states, including Florida, were slow to hand out rental assistance aimed at averting mass evictions. The Tampa Housing Authority was incorporated in 1939 and provides housing opportunities to more than 21,000 residents in the Tampa Bay area. Although other states were similarly slow to distribute only 6.5 percent of funds had been distributed nationally at the time others moved quickly. Did you check your W-2? after waiting for nearly a month I sent my landlord a slightly persuasive email about the rent assistance and HE AGREED to accept it finally! Kody Glazer, legal director of the Florida Housing Coalition, said Floridas distribution number was disappointing. He attributed it to a long list of factors, including one issue with the online application process that requires landlords to create a new account and re-apply for every tenant if theyre applying on behalf of multiple people. A higher percentage of Black and Hispanic families in Florida told the Census Bureau, in its most recent survey, that they were not current on their rent. A review of Owens phone records shows she called the program support number more than nine times in December. If a tenant fails to pay rent in a timely manner, both parties still have . In their rundown car Bryant says its on its last leg theyll make runs for DoorDash and InstaCart, sometimes together, while one parent attends to baby Tahj. Checks to cover rent for October and November arrived, but Owens said the back payments for September and August never came. (Spectrum News/Molly Duerig), The Expediting Assistance to Renters and Landlords Act, Housing help: A list of Central Florida housing resources, according to a July study published by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida published a video, states and local governments had only distributed 11 percent of the $46.5 billion approved by Congress for ERA, Skyrocketing housing costs are straining many renters here, California Consumer Limit the Use of My Sensitive Personal Information, California Consumer Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Some landlords are refusing to accept ERA payments on behalf of their tenants, National Low Income Housing Coalition: Many landlords just dont want to participate in a government program. Across the country and here in Central Florida, some landlords are refusing to accept ERA payments on behalf of their tenants. The only viable solution is the timely and effective distribution of rental assistance funds to those in need.. If You Applied to OurFlorida and Are Still Facing Eviction | Florida Residents original sound - ManagingStupidity. The next step, DiFiore said, should be getting laser focused on distributing as much rent relief as possible. Yet Bryant says she sees the glass as half full: This is allowing me to still make income and take my son to his appointments, so Im grateful, Bryant said. All of those challenges, coupled together with Bryant recently losing a construction job due to a COVID-19 outbreak, make for a highly stressful situation. Were saving up for a camper vanBrief Synopsis These Days - Nico. When I fall and I become homeless, or when Im behind on bills, I fall hard, Bryant said. As of July 13, the state had distributed just $3.9 million, according to a news release sent out by the Florida Department of Children and Families, which is overseeing the program. If you are a renter seeking help, or a current or former employee of Our Florida, please take a moment and answer our questionsby clicking here. Florida migrant flights lawsuit dismissed in wake of Legislature passing law, Editorial Cartoons for Thursday from Times Wire Services, Bucs new coordinator is confident! Sarasota County: call 941-861-RENT (7368) or visit https://www.scgov.net. Tallahassee, Fla. - Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced $250 million in CARES Act funding for rental and mortgage assistance for Florida families that have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Statewide ERAP OUR Florida has stopped taking new applications as of May 12 and will be closing down soon. Im still waiting on my first one. This week, a U.S. House committee approved legislation to restructure the ERA program; if passed, The Expediting Assistance to Renters and Landlords Act would remove several barriers currently slowing down different parts of the application process. Applicants were rejected for various reasons, Liu said, including not actually being past-due, providing no evidence that their arrearage was linked to COVID-19, or their landlord refused to provide supporting documentation. TAMPA, Fla. An I-Team investigation revealed renters being evicted while waiting on a slice of the $870 million allocated to the DCF's Our Florida . In July, the Tampa Bay Times reported the program had distributed just 2 percent of allocated funds. Privacy Policy. This may be where were going to have to sleep after a while, if things dont work out, Bryant said from the drivers seat during a recent DoorDash run. Howd that go? On 11/2/21 at 11 am I received this: Your landlord recently applied to OUR Florida, Floridas federally funded emergency rental assistance program, listing you as a tenant for the address ***** . Its been over a month and a half and every time I reach out to OUR Florida and the client reaches out to find out, you know, can we get a check number? For more information, visit the LCHA website, or call the office at (239) 997-6688. Florida's "pay to play" eviction law allows cases to move quickly, and some residents have been displaced before . She and her wife, Kristina, are focused on raising their baby Tahj, born with help from a donor just before the coronavirus pandemic began. If you have already received assistance from any program, you cannot receive funding for the period that was already covered. Tom DiFiore, team leader of the housing unit at Bay Area Legal Services, which provides free help to low-income tenants, said hes seen some landlords decline to accept rental assistance money. Tenants face eviction while waiting for Our Florida rental assistance payments by: Shannon Behnken. If you'd like to support Pasko's jewelry business, click here. If I don't get this rent paid, I am sleeping in my car, Blinn said. Can we find out if it was cashed? I'm depending on them for my life right now.. On Jan. 6, after the Times contacted the Department of Children and Families with questions regarding Owens case, she received an email from a program representative regarding her assistance. She said she quit the job out of frustration. When the COVID-19 delta variant surged this summer, Pasko said patients stopped coming into the office and her hours were cut. On 11/2/21 at 11 am I received this: Your landlord recently applied to OUR Florida, Florida's federally funded emergency rental assistance program, listing you as a tenant for the address ***** . The Florida Department of Children and Families began accepting rental assistance applications from tenants and landlords last week through its website, OURFlorida.com, and started processing them on Monday, according to the site. The representative said there are more than 700 people employed through the Our Florida program to support families interested in assistance. Has anyone experienced this? On the 1, 2, and 11, the deputy communications director responded that they were working on it. Hillsborough and Tampa, which combined their funding into a joint effort, have distributed $11.6 million, or 26 percent. Eligible renters can qualify for 12 months of past-due rent and utilities and three months of future payments if their financial situation does not improve. Her call history doesnt go back further than the month, but she estimates she reached out to inquire about the missing payments and warn of a pending eviction at least 30 times over the three months she was waiting. Your household income must also be at or below 80% of the area median income (AMI). Landlord in all their infinite wisdom decided to get a snail mail check rather than DD. 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. On 11/4/21 at 2 pm I received this: Your application to OUR Florida is currently awaiting a response from your landlord. Shankar-Brown said that navigating applications for assistance can be a challenge for many people, especially those who havent had to before. Check with your local Emergency Rental Assistance Program for documentation requirements. Want more of our free, weekly newslettersinyourinbox? The first round of federal rental assistance money as part of this program was passed in the final days of 2020, and some other state and local governments were ready to comb through applications starting in February. 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