Virginia Rent Relief Program portal closing to new applications May 15

The Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development will close the Virginia Rent Relief Program application portal to new applications at 11:59 p.m., May 15.

Emergency Rental Assistance requires a prioritization of assistance for households with incomes less than 50 percent of area median income or households with one or more people who were not employed for the 90-day period preceding the date of application. Any application submitted after April 21 will be prioritized based on those criteria, then processed on a first-come, first-served basis.

Through March 31, the Virginia Rent Relief Program has processed and disbursed more than $713 million in 141,330 rent relief payments for more than 104,990 unique households throughout Virginia.

In June 2020, Virginia was one of the first states in the nation to create a statewide rent and mortgage relief program with federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds, and received additional state support as a bridge between the CARES and Emergency Rental Assistance funding streams.

In total, the program has received more than $1 billion in funding through federal aid and the Virginia Housing Trust Fund. Chesterfield County and Fairfax County have operated their own ERA-funded rent relief programs for residents with ERA funding.

DHCD officials indicated that they will continue to work with partners and stakeholders statewide to create strategies to increase the supply of affordable housing, address and prevent evictions and reduce barriers in housing throughout the state.

For details about RRP, visit dhcd.virginia.gov/RRP.