Funds remain available for Sarasota County’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - The Sarasota County Emergency Rental Assistance Program has distributed more than $11 million to aid Sarasota County residents with their rent and utilities over the course of the last year, but more help is available.

The program started accepting ERAP applications on May 5, 2021 after receiving a total of $17.2 million from the U.S. Department of the Treasury .

So far, the program has assisted 900 households with a total of 8,400 months of rent and 3,500 months of utility payments during the COVID pandemic.

After the eviction mortarium ended last August, several active eviction proceedings have been dropped because of funding provided by ERAP.

In an ongoing survey given to funded ERAP applicants, over 90 percent of respondents said receiving Sarasota County ERAP funding prevented an eviction or loss of their home and 85 percent of respondents said that receiving rental assistance allowed them to pay other critical bills.

As applications are still being accepted, Sarasota County needs the community’s help to spread the word about ERAP, encouraging those who may be eligible to visit our website at www.scgov.net/RENT. Along with calling 861-RENT or visiting scgov.net/RENT, ERAP Ambassadors continue to be available in libraries and community spaces across Sarasota County, providing in-person assistance to renters and landlords.