Federal Rental Assistance Program Closed to New Applications
Launched in May 2021, RentReliefRI has assisted over 29,000 renter households to date.
RentReliefRI has been a lifeline for RI renters impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, helping thousands of families remain in their homes and catch up on rent and utility payments. The federally-funded RentReliefRI program closed to new applications on June 1, 2022. Launched in March of last year, the program provides financial assistance to cover rent arrears, forward facing rent, utility arrears and certain other housing expenses.
Completed applications that were submitted by June 1, 2022, will continue to be processed and those that meet eligibility guidelines will be eligible to receive assistance after the closing date, which will be limited to past due rent and utilities, current month rent and 3 months forward-facing rent after which time there will be no further financial assistance available under the RentReliefRI program.
Updates on the status of the application will appear in the application portal. Applicants must log into application to view any status updates. Additionally, applicants may receive emails from the Case Manager requesting additional information or sharing updates. For some applicants, emails from RentReliefRI program staff may end up in their ‘junk’ or ‘spam’ email folders.
Renters needing assistance with heating oil and/or propane
Know someone who needs help with their heating oil or propane bills? There are financial resources available through Community Action Programs (CAP) across RI. CAP agencies administer both the Low Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) and the Good Neighbor Energy Fund programs. Interested households may apply for either program via a CAP agency serving their community. Click here to learn more.
About RentReliefRI
RentReliefRI is being supported, in whole or in part, by federal award number ERA0013 awarded to the State of Rhode Island by the U.S. Department of Treasury.
Newly passed legislation in Rhode Island now makes it illegal to discriminate against a potential tenant based on their source of income. This includes discriminating against tenants because they receive a housing choice voucher. This discrimination may include advertisements that say “No Section 8 allowed” or telling a potential tenant a unit is no longer available after learning they have a voucher. To learn more, please click here.
