Rental Assistance 

Need help with rent payments?

The City of Buffalo has partnered with the NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) to administer the statewide Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP). With over 23 billion dollars in funding provided through the America Rescue Plan, ERAP will provide up to 12 months of rental and utility assistance to eligible residents.

An "eligible household" is defined as a renter household in which at least one or more individuals meets the following criteria:

• Qualifies for unemployment or has experienced a reduction in household income, incurred significant costs, or experienced a financial hardship due to COVID-19
• Demonstrates a risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability and
• Has a household income at or below 80 percent of the area median income.
• ERAP is not guaranteed and will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

Residents may access the application portal by visiting ERAP Portal (ny.gov) and are encouraged to call the NYS ERAP call center at 1-844-NY1-RENT for questions about documentation. For assistance in completing the application or some part of it, residents may also call 2-1-1 or 1(888) 696-9211 to connect with a service provider.