Tuscaloosa County Rental Assistance Program Portal Now Online

TUSCALOOSA, AL — After months of hashing out logistics and mechanics, a new resource is available for Tuscaloosa County residents struggling to pay rent as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Tuscaloosa County Commission announced on Tuesday that the online portal is now live for the Tuscaloosa County Emergency Rental Assistance Program (TCERAP). Eligible participants in the program include landlords with tenants behind on rental payments who satisfy program criteria and qualifying tenants who are behind on their residential rental payments.

Click here to access the TCERAP online portal

Unpaid rent or utility bills covered by the program can go no further back than March 13, 2020, which is in line with when the economic downturn from the pandemic began.

While the county ultimately controls the purse strings when it comes to dolling out federal aid dollars, TCERAP will be administered by Mobile-based Horne, LLC, who will also manage the online portal.

ALSO READ: What To Know About Tuscaloosa County's Emergency Rental Assistance Program

To qualify, households must have a combined income at or below 80% of the Area Median Income and one or more members of the household must attest in writing that they have qualified for unemployment benefits or experienced a reduction in income due to the pandemic.

Priority will be given to the following applicants ...

• Those who are at or below 50% Area Median Income.
• Households where one or more members are unemployed on the date of the application.
• Households where one or more members were unemployed for 90 days prior to the date of application.

The logistics and administration of the program at the county level have been the primary reason for a slow roll-out and sluggish implementation.

As it stands in the first round of funding, the county would receive just north of $6 million for emergency rental assistance from the federal government, as Patch previously reported, while additional aid money could also come by way of a more competitive second round of funding made available through the American Rescue Plan.

Tuscaloosa County will become the eighth major Alabama city or county to participate in the federal Emergency Rental Assistance Program, joining Baldwin County, the City of Birmingham, the City of Huntsville, Jefferson County, Madison County, Mobile County and Montgomery County.

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