COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program

County of San Diego

COVID-19 Emergency Rent and Utilities Assistance Program

The County’s 2021 Emergency Rent and Utilities Assistance Program (ERAP) helps eligible households in qualifying areas who have been financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The program provides payment assistance for renters who need help with rent and utilities. Last day to submit an application is March 31^st, 2022.

As of March 31^st, 2022, the County will only assist with applications requesting assistance for April 2020 through March 2022. The County’s ERAP will no longer provide rent and utility assistance for the month of April 2022 and beyond. Case review does not guarantee an award. All new applications and already submitted applications are subject to funding availability.

Please note:

Only submitted applications will be considered for assignment.
Applications are assigned for review based on prioritization categories, subject to funding availability.

For assistance: Call (858) 694-4801

Verification Checklist

Documents can be provided after submitting application

Program Updates

New applications will no longer be accepted starting April 1, 2022.
ERAP will provide payment assistance for renters behind on rent and utilities. The County will pay 100 percent of unpaid rent and utility debt accrued from April 2020 through March 2022 only.

Application Selection

The County will prioritize application selection based on the following:

Primary Prioritizations:

Household income at or below 50% Area Median Income (AMI)
One or more household members are unemployed as of the date of the application for assistance and have not been employed for the 90 day period before such date (household income must not be above 80% AMI)

Secondary Prioritizations:

Single-parent households
Health Equity (using the lowest two quartiles of the Healthy Places Index or HPI to prioritize)-Residents who live in areas that have less access to healthy opportunities. Information about the Healthy Places Index can be found at healthyplaces.org. View County of San Diego map with HPI by City and Zip Code.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for the program, households must meet all of the following criteria:

Jurisdiction:

HCDS will serve individuals and families residing in the unincorporated areas of San Diego and the cities of: Carlsbad, Coronado, Del Mar, El Cajon, Encinitas, Escondido, Imperial Beach, La Mesa, Lemon Grove, National City, Oceanside, Poway, San Marcos, Santee, Solana Beach, and Vista
Residents of the cities of San Diego and Chula Vista visit ERAPSanDiego.org for information about rental assistance in their area.

Eligible Income:

Household income must fall at or below 80% AMI

Renter:

Household must have an obligation to pay rent

Financial Hardship:

Households must have qualified for unemployment benefits or experienced a financial hardship during or due, directly or indirectly, to the coronavirus pandemic.
Household is at risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability.

Other Eligibility Notes:

Households currently receiving rental subsidies such as Section 8, rapid rehousing assistance, or rental assistance from non-profit agencies may apply. The household must certify that the ERAP assistance requested does not duplicate any other assistance, including federal, state, or local assistance provided for the same costs. Duplication of assistance is subject to County verification.
Only one application per residence will be permitted.

Income Levels:

To be eligible, the combined income of all persons in the household must fall at or below 80% Area Median Income (AMI). Please see AMI chart below.
AMI chart is effective as of 04/20/2022.

Number of People in Household	Income equal to or less than the following (80% AMI):
1	$72,900
2	$83,300
3	$93,700
4	$104,100
5	$112,450
6	$120,800
7	$129,100
8	$137,450

Flyers and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

ERAP FAQ (Updated 2-23-2022)

English / Spanish / Tagalog / Arabic /

Vietnamese / Mandarin / Somali /

Farsi / Swahili

ERAP Flyer (Updated 4-6-2021)

English / Spanish / Tagalog / Arabic /

Vietnamese / Mandarin / Somali /

Farsi / Swahili

Application Status Verification

California State law (Assembly Bill 832) requires the County of San Diego COVID-19 Rent and Utility Assistance Program and similar programs throughout the State to provide a way for the Superior Court to verify the status of an application for rental assistance and obtain copies of decisions about an application.

Visit our Application Status page to check the status and request copies of determination.

If you are a tenant or landlord with an existing application, log in to the online application portal at https://covid-19-2021-rental-assistance.sandiegocounty.gov/ to check the status of an application. Please log in with your email address and password.