(Yonkers, NY) – The Emergency Rental Assistance Program opened today, and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins encourages residents to watch an informative discussion that she and Legal Services of the Hudson Valley held on the program last week.

The Majority Leader’s Tenants’ Rights Forum is available to residents to view on Facebook and breaks down the complexities of the Emergency Rental Assistance Program. Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins allocated $2.4 billion in funding to the program through this year’s State budget. The program prioritizes low-income residents who have faced financial hardship due to the pandemic or housing instability and can offer up to 12 months of rent and utility debt assistance accrued on or after March 13, 2020. The program also can provide an additional three months of future rental assistance to households who dedicate 30 percent or more of their monthly income toward rent. 

The forum was led by attorneys at Legal Services of the Hudson Valley who also discussed the Eviction Moratorium, and how residents can qualify. The slide show presentation used during the forum is also available to residents to review here: https://bit.ly/3ccc5ht.