FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monay, July 06, 2020

Renters Can Submit Pre-Applications Beginning Today through Friday, July 17

TRENTON, NJ – The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) today announced that the application period for the COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program (CVERAP) is now open. The pre-application period, which was originally supposed to end on July 10, has been extended to run through July 17. The program will provide rental assistance to low- and moderate-income households that have had a substantial reduction in income as a result of the pandemic, including those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. 

“Governor Murphy and I urge renters who have been affected by COVID-19 to apply to the Emergency Rental Assistance Program today,” said Lt. Governor Sheila Y. Oliver, DCA Commissioner. “We understand that these are difficult times and want to help as many people as possible to pay their rent.”

Applicants may be eligible for up to a maximum of six months of emergency rental assistance. Qualifying households will be expected to pay 30 percent of their income toward rent, and the program will pay the remainder of their rent up to a cap. At the three-month mark, the household’s budget will be reviewed to determine if assistance is still needed. Assistance that is no longer necessary will be used to serve additional families.

Pre-applications for the program received from July 6 to July 17 will be entered into an online lottery. With the application period opening today, households may submit pre-applications. Participants will be selected from the overall pool of applicants through a randomized process based on eligibility and the lottery criteria.

Households may qualify for the lottery based on the below standards:

Eligibility Requirements

• Have a gross annual household income that is at or below the program’s maximum income limits for the county where they will be residing;
• Be a New Jersey resident and have a current lease in New Jersey;
• Be current on their rent as of March 2020; this program will not assist with arrears;
• Have a substantial reduction in income or be unemployed due to the COVID-19 pandemic;
• Have a lack of assets and savings to pay rent;
• Will pay a minimum of 30% of their income towards the rent; and
• Are not currently receiving a subsidy from another rental assistance program or living in public housing. Households receiving any other rental assistance are ineligible 

The CVERAP maximum income limits can be found here: https://www.nj.gov/dca/divisions/dhcr/offices/cverap.html 

CVERAP pre-applications can be submitted ONLINE starting at 9:00 a.m. on July 6 with the use of a personal computer, laptop, smartphone, or tablet at https://www.waitlistcheck.com/NJ559-2809.

Paper CVERAP pre-applications will not be distributed or accepted. However, people without internet access or disabled individuals who need a reasonable accommodation may contact DCA’s Applicant Service at 609-292-4080, Option 1 or 8, for assistance. Submission of a CVERAP pre-application does not guarantee placement in the program. Only one CVERAP pre-application per household will be accepted. Duplicate CVERAP pre-applications will be rejected.

DCA will provide centralized application intake, eligibility review, and payment directly to participants’ landlords. As part of the landlord contract, DCA will encourage landlords to agree to a reasonable payment plan for any rent arrearages, not to evict for any arrearages accumulated prior to the start of CVERAP assistance, and not to evict due to unpaid rent for six months after the end of assistance.

Additional information about the program, available in multiple languages, can be found on the DCA website at https://www.nj.gov/dca/divisions/dhcr/offices/cverap.html.

DCA offers a wide range of programs and services, including affordable housing production, fire safety, building safety, community planning and development, local government management and finance, and disaster recovery.

For more information about DCA, visit https://nj.gov/dca/ or follow the Department on social media: