overview
Conditions of participation
required documents
common questions
educational videos
community partner
Yakima County is nearing the end of its COVID Rental Assistance Program. Applications submitted after March 13, 2023 cannot be processed. As of March 31, 2023, we have stopped accepting new applications.
Program Summary
This emergency funding is intended to prevent eviction of families financially impacted by the COVID pandemic. Low-income families living in Yakima County can receive funds to pay current and future overdue rent and utility bills.
Funding is available for tenants or landlords who have lost income due to COVID-19 and are struggling to pay or collect rent.
NEED SUPPORT?
If you need help with this online application, please emailFORWARD-support@forwardplatform.comor call us1-855-582-3973.
If you need a reasonable accommodation to complete the application due to a disability, please get in touch1-509-574-1365theContact a local partnerfrom the list below for help.
Conditions of participation
Families must meet all four initial screening criteria to qualify for Rent Assistance:
Someone in the family has qualified for unemployment, experienced a drop in income, had significant expenses, or experienced financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
You have current housing instability or are at risk of housing instability, which may include rent arrears or the expectation that you will not be able to pay future rents.
Your family income is equal to or less than 80% of the Median Income (AMI) –Click herefor an area average income calculator.
His family lives in Yakima County -Click herefor a map of Yakima County areas.
* We give priority to help families whose income does not exceed 50% of the regional median family income or where one or more people in the family are unemployed at the time of applying for help and have not worked in the 90 days before that date .
required documents
The following documents will be used to verify your eligibility:
This could include paychecks, W-2s or other paychecks, 2021 tax returns, or bank statements showing regular income.
Proof of current tenancy or proof of residence showing proof of rent payment.
Evidence of overdue rent or utility notices or eviction notices.
You can save documents to your profile so you can easily find them and include them in your apps. These file formats are supported: .doc, .docx, .gif, .jpeg, .jpg, .pdf, .png, .xls and .xlsx
Please note that if you do not have these documents, you may still be eligible for help.Contact usso we can support you with the app.
common questions
FORWARD has extensive experience managing rental assistance programs across the country and can process large-scale claims, prevent fraud, securely process payments and provide reports that meet Treasury requirements.
Families who rent their homes must meet four criteria for emergency rental assistance in Yakima County.
- One or more family members are past due or delinquent on rent for an apartment in Yakima County.
- Total household income is eighty percent (80%) or less of the area median income (AMI).
- One or more household members eligible for unemployment insurance benefits; or financial loss suffered that can be directly or indirectly attributed to COVID-19.
- One or more people in the household may be at risk of homelessness. or residential instability.
After submitting your application, follow these five steps:
- app review
- Tenant Contact - Someone will contact you if they need more information.
- Eligibility Assessment – Your application will proceed to the next step if you meet the eligibility criteria. If not, you will receive a written rejection, which you can appeal.
- Communication with the owners
- payment process
If you would like to check the status of your application, log into your FORWARD account and click on the "My Applications" tab to view your status.
You meet the income requirements if your total household income is 80% or less of the Area Median Income (AMI). Your AMI depends on how many people live in your household.Click herefor an area average income calculator.
No. US citizenship is NOT required to participate in this program.
You must be at least 18 years old to apply. Or you have been legally emancipated if you are under 18.
Families with overdue or partially paid rent can receive assistance for all months of missed rent from March 13, 2020.
However, Yakima County has taken advantage of several subsidy programs to continue supporting residents with rent subsidies. Some rental assistance programs limit the number of months to 15 or 18, depending on the funding source used at the time of approval.
No. According to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Emergency Rent Assistance is designed to help eligible families who need financial assistance to pay rent, utilities and other related expenses. Rent and utility payments count ONLY as gross income for the owner or utility provider.
Rent Assistance payments are made directly to your landlord by check or direct deposit into your bank account. Some programs have situations where payment can be made directly to the tenant if the landlord refuses to participate. However, this happens rarely and only under special circumstances. Utility payments must be made directly to the energy supplier and cannot be paid to tenants or landlords.
The information provided in your application will be used to contact the landlord or energy suppliers. You will receive documentation of all payments made on your behalf to the landlord or energy suppliers.
This can include electricity, natural gas, water/wastewater, waste disposal, energy costs such as fuel, oil or wood for heating. The Internet is considered a utility for this program.
Phone and TV bills are NOT included in the plan.
Costs associated with obtaining or maintaining safe accommodation will be considered when considering a request on a case-by-case basis.
Yes. Families receiving a monthly federal subsidy are eligible. However, only the amount not covered by other programs is financed.
No, but rental support is limited to the Fair Market Rent (FMR) for the area.
Families with overdue or partially paid rent can get help for all months of missed rent starting March 13, 2020.
Yakima County has used several subsidy programs to continue to support residents with rent subsidies. Some rental assistance programs limit the number of months to 15 or 18, depending on the funding source used at the time of approval.
FMR is the fair market rental of a rental unit in a given area, as determined by the Departmentresidential urban development. As defined in 24 CFR 888.113, fair market rents are estimates of the 40th percentile of gross rents for units of standard quality in a metropolitan area or non-metro county. The table below shows itFMR in Yakima County, Washington.
| Final FMR for FY 2022 per room units | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Again | efficiency | A bedroom | Two rooms | Three bedrooms | Four rooms |
| Upper Tax 2022 FMR | 772 $ | 798 $ | 1.050 $ | 1.492 $ | 1.607 $ |
| Upper Finance 2021 FMR | 722 $ | 792 $ | 1.044 $ | 1.468 $ | 1.595 $ |
| Ano Fiscal 2020 FMR | 685 $ | 769 $ | 1.013 $ | 1.400 $ | 1.555 $ |
No, the tenant must submit a request for assistance. However, a landlord can work with the tenant to provide as much documentation as possible to support the tenant's claims. Using herowner portalA landlord can help a tenant provide the documents listed on the landlord's checklistwho has already applied.
FORWARD application webinars
FORWARD application webinars
4 videos
rent and utilities
1:40
You need help? Contact our community partners
Yakima County and FORWARD work with the following community organizations to help you complete application forms and provide proper documentation. Contact one of our partners below for assistance with the Yakima County Emergency Housing Rental Assistance Program.
1-509-853-1300 extension 1091
ssanchez@catholiccharitiescw.org
303 East D St., Suite 5
Yakima WA, 98901
Monday Thursday
8:00 – 18:00
Freitag
8:00 - 17:00
1-509-452-7145
h.s@yvoic.org
1419 Hathaway St, Yakima WA, 98902
Monday - Friday
8:10 am – 4:00 p.m.
1-509-249-6232
Mary.diaz@ynhs.org
[Yakima]
102 S Naches Ave, Yakima WA 98901
[sunny side]
617 Scoon Rd, Sunnyside WA, 98944
Monday - Friday
9:00 – 16:00
1-509-865-7630
ERAP@yvfwc.org
706 Renschler Ln, Toppenish WA, 98948
Monday - Friday
8:00 – 17:00
FORWARD administers the Rental Assistance Program on behalf of Yakima County.
ABOUT HER BEFORE
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FAQs
What is the Emergency Rental Assistance Program in Washington state? ›
The Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) helps District residents earning less than 40% of the Area Median Income (AMI) who are facing housing emergencies, by providing funding for overdue rent including late fees and court costs if the qualified household is facing eviction.
How many times can you apply for rental assistance near Richmond VA? ›Dial the Richmond non-profit at (804)257-7730. Several services are available. You can only get rent help at most once every six months. You need to be able to document your hardship/emergency, and even food, clothes, or other aid may be offered too.
What county is Yakima Washington? ›Yakima County, WA | Official Website.