Sarasota County Expands Eligibility, Amount Provided For Rental Assistance Program

SARASOTA COUNTY — The Emergency Rental Assistance Program is expanding its eligibility criteria and increasing the number of months of assistance the program provides to eligible applicants.

The expansion includes a broader definition of COVID-19 impact, an increase in the maximum number of months of assistance from 15 to 18 months and additional funding of $4.1 million allocated to Sarasota County from the American Rescue Plan Act, Sarasota County said in a news release.

Those who were previously denied for not having a COVID-19 impact will be given the chance to continue their application if they qualify under the expanded eligibility criteria.

Applicants can use the same application portal available on scgov.net/rent.

As of Monday, the Sarasota County ERAP has disbursed over $7.3 million in rental and utility assistance to community members impacted by COVID-19.

Since the program launched May 5, the ERAP has helped more than 754 households across Sarasota County and paid a combined total of more than 5,687 months of rent and more than 2,058 months of utilities, the county said.