Louisiana Emergency Rental Assistance Program

Eligibility

ERAP provided rental and utility assistance to eligible renters and landlords who experienced housing instability due to COVID-19. Eligible uses of program funding included:

• Past-due rent dating back to as early as April 1, 2020
• Forward rent paid in increments of up to three months
• Past-due and current bills, plus some penalty fees

A renter would be eligible for rental assistance under the program if the following requirements are met:

• Lives in a rental property in one of 57 parishes covered by the program
• At least one individual in the household qualified for unemployment benefits or experienced a reduction in household income, incurred significant costs or experienced other financial hardship due directly or indirectly to COVID-19
• Has received a past due rent notice, past due utility notice, or an eviction notice or is experiencing housing instability
• Household income does not exceed 80% of area median income limit (AMI)
• Program payments cannot exceed 120% Fair Market Rent (FMR) values for your parish.

A landlord could also apply on behalf of their tenants and will be required to accept the following conditions to receive payment under the program:

• Will not evict the tenant for past due rent prior to April 2020
• Will not evict the tenant for at least 60 days after assistance ends unless eviction is for cause
• Will forgive all penalties, interest and court costs related to rent incurred between April 2020 and date of remittance of program rental assistance, with the exception of late fees up to $100 per month, as prescribed within current lease terms

Application Process

Applications were submitted online via the application portal. The application period for the program closed on December 21, 2022.Requests for paper applications or application assistance were provided through the program call center at 877-459-6555 or through the program email: info@LAStateRent.com

Renter applicants were required to submit documentation that met the requirements of the following: 

• Proof of obligation to pay rent
• Proof of current housing instability
• Photo identification
• Income verification
• Utility bill

Landlord applicants were required to submit documentation that met the requirements of the following: 

• Lease documentation
• Amount of arrears
• Proof of taxpayer identification
• Identity verification
• Tenant records 

Application Prioritization 

The state prioritized applications based on the following criteria:

• Applicant households with income below 50% AMI.
• Applications from households that have at least one (1) individual who is unemployed and has not been employed for at least 90 days prior to date of application.