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SARASOTA COUNTY (WSNN) – It’s getting harder and harder for some people to pay rent. Because of this, Sarasota County has an Emergency Rental Assistance Program. 

Nearly 200 households in Sarasota County have been helped with more than one-point-two million dollars in rental and utility assistance, as of noon, Thursday.

“The impacts of COVID are multifaceted and they affect people in many different ways,” Emergency Rental Assistance Program Manager Laurel Varnell said. “And not being able to pay rent or utilities is just one of those ways.”

The County received 13 million dollars from the U.S. Department of Treasury to help households struggling to pay their rent bills.

“I’m just happy we’re able to get this funding out to the community in a time when it’s clearly needed,” Varnell said.

You qualify for the Emergency Rental Assistance Program or ERAP if you’re a renter in Sarasota County, don’t own a home, are below the 80-percent area median income (AMI), demonstrate housing instability or insecurity, and prove you’ve been impacted negatively by COVID-19.

“We generally ask for a letter from the employer that says that the individual has either been laid off or hours have been reduced,” Varnell said. “We also look for a reduction in pay stubs. If they’re self-employed, they can give us their business bank account.”

There are about 900 applications submitted to the program.  Of those submitted, the staff is waiting on about 400 applicants and landlords for additional documentation.

“We saw a pretty large number of applications that were submitted really the first few days that we launched our applications on May 5th,” Varnell said. 

From there, it’s been a steady number of about 40 applications a week. With ERAP, you can receive up to 15 months of assistance.

“This funding is designed to be able to get you caught up and then a little bit ahead as well,” Varnell said. 

The review process varies between each applicant. It can range between 4-6 weeks.

The E-RAP Call Center has received more than 4,500 calls. There have been more than 1,500 applicants across the 6 locations in the county.

For more information on ERAP, you can visit scgov.net/rent or by calling 941-861-RENT (7368).