The State of Georgia received $552 million from U.S. Treasury's Federal Emergency Rental Assistance Program to provide relief to individuals, families, and landlords whose finances have been negatively impacted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) will administer the State of Georgia Rental Assistance Program (GRA), and the online portal to determine eligibility and submit applications is now available.

“The State of Georgia is pleased to be able to provide this rental relief to those who have fallen behind in rent and utility bills due to the pandemic,” said Tonya Cureton Curry, DCA Deputy Commissioner of Housing. “We encourage renters and landlords to check the online portal immediately to determine if they are eligible. It’s our hope this assistance will help lessen the financial burdens many Georgian families and individuals are facing.”

GRA offers financial assistance to eligible tenants, their landlords, and utility providers to cover activities including rent arrears, current and future rent payments, and utility arrears payments.

Payment will be made directly to the landlords and utility providers. Payments generally may not exceed 12 months, but some households may qualify for a total of 15 months under certain circumstances.

GRA can serve renter households in Georgia who meet the following conditions: 

• Qualified for unemployment benefits OR experienced a reduction in household income, incurred significant costs, or experienced other financial hardship due directly or indirectly to COVID-19

• Demonstrates a risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability

• Has a household income at or below 80 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI), with priority given to: 1) households below 50 percent of the AMI, or 2) households with one or more individuals who have been unemployed 90 days or longer at the time of application