The Virginia Rent Relief Program
Virginia Housing is now administering relief for renters experiencing financial difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic through the Virginia Rent Relief Program (RRP). You can now apply through Virginia Housing on behalf of tenants to receive funds to pay delinquent rental payments dating as far back as April 1, 2020 and forward. The Landlord component of RRP is open to the confirmed Owners of Virginia rental properties (including apartments, single-family residences and manufactured housing), with bona fide leases to qualifying tenants, and that agree to RRP requirements. You are
not required to have financing through Virginia Housing or DHCD to apply.
Eligibility:
In order to receive financial assistance through the Virginia RRP, tenants must meet the following requirements:
Have a valid lease agreement in their name and occupying the unit at time of application.
The household’s total rent payment is at or below 150% Fair Market Rate or SAFMR.
The household’s total gross income is equal to or less than 80% Area Median Income for location.
- Supporting income documentation is not required for households of 3 or less residing in the linked list of
zip codes.
- Supporting income documentation is not required for households of 3 or less receiving SNAP, WIC, LIHEAP, or TANF and can provide award letters from those programs.
- Asset verification is required for households above 50% AMI only.
The household has experienced a negative financial impact (directly or indirectly) due to COVID-19 or are receiving unemployment benefits, for example:
Note: A written narrative is no longer required.
Loss of Income:
- Tenant has been laid off.
- Tenant's place of employment has closed.
- Tenant has experienced a reduction in hours of work.
- Tenant must stay home to care for children due to closure of day care and/or school.
- Tenant must stay home to care for children due to distance learning.
- Tenant has lost child or spousal support.
- Tenant has been unable to find employment due to COVID-19.
- Tenant is unwilling or unable to participate in employment due to risk of severe illness from COVID-19.
- Tenant is not able to work and/or missed hours due to contracting, being exposed, or having to quarantine due to COVID-19.
Increased COVID Related Expenses:
- Tenant has had an increase in childcare expenses.
- Tenant has had an increase in medical expenses.
- Tenant has had an increase in food costs.
- Tenant has had an increase in utility costs.
The household cannot receive duplicate rental assistance from any other source, including, but not limited to, federal (including Housing Choice Voucher), state and local rental assistance programs, for the same portion of rent for which RRP is requested.
- Households receiving rental subsidy, e.g. Sect 8 or HCV, are now eligible for past due, current, and 3 months of future rent.
- Households receiving rental subsidy are no longer required to submit documentation that their rent has been income adjusted (interim recertification) with their RRP application.
RRP Application Prioritization:
Equitable distribution of rental assistance throughout Virginia is a guiding principle of the Virginia Rent Relief Program (RRP). Prioritization is given to households who are currently facing eviction, whose income is at or below 50% Average Median Income (AMI), and/or include an adult who has been unemployed more than 90 days. Out of the households that have received payments since the inception of the program (as of July 1, 2021), more than 79% of all households are at or below 30% of area median income.
In addition, DHCD seeks to promote RRP within historically economically disadvantaged communities. As of July 1, 2021, RRP data shows that of those who identified their race, Black households account for almost 52% of those served, and white households account for 23% of those served. Over 67% of households served have included children under 8 years old. To support this effort, DHCD has initiated the RRP Outreach and Engagement grant to strategically assist households and landlords who have limited access to the Internet or are not able to complete the online RRP application due to accessibility and language barriers.
Required Documentation:
- Proof of income (pay stubs, bank statements, letter from employer, social security documents, pension).
- Valid lease or other documentation of landlord-tenant relationship.
- Rent ledger.
- Completed Application and Agreements.
- Landlord Virginia W9.
How to Get Started:
Landlord Flyer and
Tenant Flyer (English)
Landlord Flyer and
Tenant Flyer (Spanish)
Landlord User Guide to create a profile and enter tenant application data
Grant Management System (GMS)
Contact Us
rentrelief@virginiahousing.com.
Forms:
ACH Form for Landlord Registration
Multiple Property Template for Landlord Registration
Application and Agreements
Zero Income Certification
Authorization to Release Information
Cash Income Certification
Property Owner Certification of Voluntary Tenant Vacancy
Self-Employment Certification
Asset Certification
Roommate Certification
Resources:
HUD Definition of Annual Income
DHCD RRP Tenant Program
80% AMI Guide and
150% FMR Guide
HUD's SAFMR
HUD Definition of Income Training
HUD Assets and Documentation Training
DHCD Landlord FAQ
Report Fraud at
rrpfraud@dhcd.virginia.gov
Chesterfield County and Fairfax County Information:
Chesterfield and Fairfax Counties have elected to administer rent relief programs at the local level as permitted by Treasury’s Emergency Rental Assistance program. As a result,
effective 11:59pm February 14, 2021, Virginia Housing is no longer accepting applications or amendments for residents that reside in these localities. Landlords should work with the appropriate program for assistance in those localities.
Chesterfield County
Chesterfield County
residents who have been impacted by Covid-19 have two ways of applying for rent assistance through current federal funding:
Chesterfield County
landlords may apply on behalf of their tenants by sending completed applications with required documentation attached to
chesterfieldlandlord@actsrva.org.
Fairfax County
Fairfax County
residents seeking rent assistance:
Fairfax County
landlords seeking rental assistance on behalf of their tenant:
Funding for RRP is made available through Virginia’s allocation of the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 and is administered through the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development. Interested applicants will work directly with grantees throughout Virginia to complete applications and process payments. Virginia Housing is the grantee for landlord-initiated applicants. In the event of insufficient program funds to fund all applications, VH will prioritize assistance to households with incomes of no more than 50 percent of AMI and to households in which one or more household member is unemployed and has been unemployed for 90 days.
