The City’s COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program is currently in its second phase and the deadline for applications has been extended to Nov. 4. The program is designed to help renters who have lost more than 30 percent of their income due to reduced work hours/wages because of the pandemic, or have become unemployed after March 1 because of COVID-19.

Phase 2 rental assistance has recently been increased from $750 to up to $1,500 per renter per month. Payments will be made directly to landlords.

Other Phase 2 Program criteria include: 

• Applicants must be Philadelphia residents (renters in other counties must apply to their county’s designated organization)

• Landlords and renters must each provide information

• Renters who applied for PA unemployment assistance must have done so after March 1

• Renters’ income before March 1 must be no more than 100% of the area median income, or $87,000 for a family of three (the income limit for Phase 1 was 50% of AMI)

• If you applied for Phase 1, and even if you were selected for assistance in Phase 1, you can still apply for Phase 2.

Landlords must agree to the terms of the program and may not displace the household or begin eviction proceedings for at least 60 days from the final month of rental assistance.

Funding will be awarded for qualified applicants on a first-come, first-served basis.

Please visit https://phlrentassist.org/phase-2/ for more information and to apply.