Housing

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE DURING AND/OR DUE TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY

Emergency Rental Assistance 2 Program (ERAP 2):

Qualifying Criteria:

1. The household must meet the income guidelines for their household size for Bradford County (80% AMI) – there are charts in the packet in the documents section below that identify income limits and documents that are  acceptable proof of income;
2. Must be tenants (not homeowners);
3. The household must have a verifiable financial hardship that is occurring due to or during the public health emergency (proof may be required); AND
4. The hardship must put them at risk of homelessness or housing instability
5. Eligible households may be eligible for UP TO 18 month’s worth of assistance (inclusive of both ERAP 1 & 2), and applicants must have their finances and qualifying criteria reviewed every three months if they are receiving future assistance.  Future funding is not guaranteed, and is generally limited to no more than 6 months out of the total 18 months of assistance that can be provided.

EFFECTIVE AUGUST 1, 2022: 

In order to prioritize funding for those most in need, assistance with future rent/utilities is handled on a case by case basis and is generally capped at no more than 6 months of the 18 month maximum for this grant.  Tenants may be held responsible for a portion of their future rent/utilities and/or may be required to work with other agencies as a condition of receiving assistance.

Interested households may download a copy of the application in the documents section below.  Completed applications may be mailed to or dropped off at: 220 Main St., Unit 1, Towanda, PA  18848.  You may also email the application and supporting documents to:  bchserap@bradfordco.org.

PLEASE DO NOT SEND CELL PHONE PHOTOS OR SCREEN SHOTS OF THE APPLICATION AND/OR SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS.

It is recommended that you request a delivery confirmation when submitting applications via email to ensure they were received.  Please allow up to 30 days for your application to be processed.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q:  I’ve filed my housing assistance application, now what can I expect?

A:  Your application will be reviewed within about two weeks, and you will be contacted in writing with a decision within 30 days.  A copy of the official notice will also be sent to your landlord.  If there is an eviction notice and/or utility shut off notice, we will contact your landlord and/or the utility company directly to provide a pledge if you are approved.

Q:  It’s been 2-3 weeks since I submitted my application and I haven’t heard anything, what should I do?

A:  You may email us at bchserap@bradfordco.org to request an update if you or your landlord has not been contacted within 30 days of submitting your application.  If you do not use email, you may call (570) 265-1760 and ask for housing to request an update.  In order to provide updates, we must hand search all un-processed applications.  Please allow up to 5 business days for a response.

Q:  I have an eviction or shut off notice.  Will my application be processed in time to prevent this from happening?

A:  While we make every attempt to process applications as quickly as possible, we cannot guarantee that every application will be processed in time to prevent an eviction filing or utility shut off from occurring.  You can help expedite your application by providing all required documents as soon as possible after you complete an application for assistance.

Q:  What documentation do you need to process my application?

A: At the time of your application, you should be prepared to provide the following:  photo ID for all adults, social security cards or equivalent for all household members, including children, proof of income for the past 30 days (pay stubs, etc.), a copy of your lease or rental agreement if you have one, and copies of all utility bills.  Additional documentation will be required, depending on the grant you are applying for.

Q:  Who do I contact if I have any questions later?

A:  You can call housing at 570-265-1760, or email bchserap@bradfordco.org  Please be patient.  We will return your call as quickly as possible, generally within 1-2 business days.  Please do not leave more than one voice mail, as this will only delay our ability to respond.

Q:  What are your hours of operation?

A:  Bradford County Human Services is open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.*  At this time we are experiencing an extremely high volume of applications.  To allow time for processing ERAP applications, the housing department is closed to the public (including phone calls and walk ins) on Fridays to allow dedicated time to process ERAP applications.

We are closed for all major holidays.

PA Homeowner’s Assistance Fund:

The Pennsylvania Homeowner Assistance Fund, or PAHAF, is a housing-related program funded by the U.S. Department of the Treasury to assist Pennsylvania homeowners facing financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic that began after January 21, 2020, (including a hardship that began before January 21, 2020, and continued after that date). The program will provide financial assistance to homeowners for qualified mortgage and housing-related expenses to avoid delinquency, default, foreclosure, or displacement.

The program may provide assistance for mortgage arrears, future mortgage payments, utility arrears, and back property taxes for eligible households.

Interested homeowners may click the following link for additional information or to apply:

https://pahaf.org/