Emergency Rent & Utility Assistance Instructions and Information

Thank you for your interest in the Dauphin County Emergency Rent and Utility Assistance Program.  The focus of the program is to assist households who can display that they were impacted due to or during the coronavirus pandemic, March 13, 2020 up to and including May 11, 2023, who experienced a reduction in household income, incurred significant costs, or experienced other financial hardships during or due, directly or indirectly, to the coronavirus pandemic.  

Dauphin County paused accepting Emergency Rental & Utility applications on August 2, 2024.  We are not accepting applications at this time.  Funds will continue to be distributed to those who previously applied based on prioritization, eligibility, and funding availability.

IF you are a landlord or property manager seeking information about applicants, please log on to dauphincounty.rentrelief.com to sign into your account. No matter how many properties you are responsible for, the fastest way to gain information about the households that have applied for ERAP is through dauphincounty.rentrelief.com.

IF you are a tenant/applicant seeking information on an existing application, please visit  dauphincounty.rentrelief.com to login to your account and view your application status.  

 

    Eligibility Criteria

    1. Qualify for unemployment benefits OR experienced a reduction in household income, incurred significant costs, or experienced other financial hardship during or due, directly or indirectly, to the coronavirus pandemic (March 13, 2020 up to and including May 11, 2023); AND
    2. Demonstrate a risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability, which may include past due rent and utility notices and eviction notices; AND
    3. The household is defined as a low-income family (as such term is defined in section 3(b) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437a(b))).

    Area Median Income (AMI)

    As previously stated, applicants must be at or below 80% AMI. Income eligibility is determined based on annual gross income or current monthly gross income for the total household. Acceptable forms of income can include but are not limited to wages/pay stubs, 2024 tax returns for annual income, business income, social security or pensions, interest on savings accounts, TANF (welfare/cash assistance), unemployment benefits and any other periodic payments such as child support or gifts from any source.

    Current AMI:

    2024 Income Limits
    Harrisburg- Carlisle Region     		1
    Person     		2
    Persons     		3
    Persons     		4
    Persons     		5
    Persons     		6
    Persons     		7
    Persons     		8
    Persons
    Extremely Low (30%) Income Limits 20,500 23,500 26,450 31,200 36,580 41,960 47,340 52,720
    Very Low (50%) Income Limits 34,300 39,200 44,100 48,950 52,900 56,800 60,700 64,650
    Low (80%) Income Limits 54,850 62,650 70,500 78,300 84,600 90,850 97,100 103,400
             

     

    Number of People in Household
    The number of people in your household includes all adults in the rental unit, whether listed on your lease or not, all children living in the rental more than 50% of the time, and any foster children or adults. Do not include live-in aids. Do not include unborn children.

    Prioritization

    Please be aware that this is a first come, first serve process, prioritized based on a few regulatory factors including income and period of unemployment. The County and its providers will continue to review applications as long as funds are available for those who applied July 15 – August 2, 2024.

    Eviction Mediation
    It is important to create a line of communication with the landlord or utility provider that you owe arrears to. If this line of communication has been severed, a case manager that will reach out to you will help you with that communication. If you are continuing to struggle, please call Neighborhood Dispute Settlement at 717-233-8255.

    Questions and Support
    If you need support in understanding or accessing your existing application, you can contact 2-1-1 for assistance.

    If you have any questions, please call 2-1-1 (8AM – 8PM, M-F) or email rentutilityassist@dauphincounty.gov.  


    Other ERAP Resources

    Dauphin County Emergency Rental Assistance Appeals and Fair Hearing Policy (English)

    Appeal Request Form (English)

    Dauphin County Emergency Rental Assistance Appeals and Fair Hearing Policy (Spanish)

    Appeal Request Form (Spanish)

    ERAP Flyer