Volusia County announces $20 million in rental assistance available.

Written by Anthony Bicy

Belden Communications News

Volusia County announced Wednesday that its Emergency Rental Assistance program has over $20 million available to assist residents in need.

The Rental Assistance program will help eligible households receive up to twelve months of assistance for rent or utilities. That includes past due payments and other help related to housing stability.

Applications will be accepted beginning Tuesday, July 20, at 9 a.m. County residents will be able to apply online at www.volusia.org/era.

The web page will provide income limits and a list of the required documents. Households already receiving Emergency Rental Assistance do not need to reapply.

Navigators will be available the morning of July 20 for those needing help at:

• Daytona Beach, DeLand, Deltona, New Smyrna Beach, Ormond Beach, and Port Orange regional libraries
• John H. Dickerson Heritage, Hope Place, and the DeBary and Edgewater public libraries.
• Emergency Rental Assistance conference room Bank of America Building, 230 N. Woodland Blvd., Suite 262, DeLand

Landlords may also apply for their tenants. To do so, they must send an email to era@volusia.org with their contact information. A staff member will then reach out to help them with other information.

An eligible household is a renter household that can document these criteria:

• Qualifies for unemployment or has experienced a reduction in household income, incurred costs, or experienced a financial hardship due directly or indirectly to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Demonstrates a risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability; and
• Has a household income at or below 80% of the area median income.

After receiving 1,500 applications, applications will close due to finite funds. Households must be re-certified every three months to continue receiving aid.

For more information, call Volusia County’s Community Assistance Division at (386)943-7095.