Emergency Rental Assistance

To qualify for assistance, the following criteria must be met: 

1. Household lives in Maricopa County, but not in the cities of Glendale, Mesa, and Phoenix; and
2. Since March 13 2020, a household member has qualified for Unemployment Insurance from the Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES) OR the household is experiencing financial hardship; and
3. Household demonstrates a risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability; and 
4. Household is living at or below 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI).

Note: Proof of citizenship or immigration status and Social Security Number are not required in the Emergency Rental Assistance program and households do not need to provide documentation for either. However, if you are interested in other Human Services Department programs, additional documentation including Social Security cards or proof of citizenship or immigration status may be required. 

To help establish eligibility, please collect the following documentation. You will need to submit these documents in order to receive assistance.

Required Tenant Information      

One of the following:

• Documentation demonstrating financial hardship
• Documentation demonstrating a household member was determined eligible for Unemployment Insurance from the Arizona Department of Economic Security (Eligibility period: March 30, 2020 – Present)

Always required:

1. Photo identification of applicant
2. Lease agreement
3. Documentation of total household income received in the 60 days prior to and including application date
4. Documentation demonstrating risk of homelessness or housing instability by collecting one of the following:

• Past due rent notice
• Past due utility bill
• Eviction notice
• Utility shut off notice
• Writ of restitution
• Judgment related to eviction
• Show less than 7 days of pre-paid utility remaining on pre-paid account
  

Required for utility assistance:

• Most recent utility bill for each utility seeking assistance for 
• Release of Information Form 

Required Landlord Forms

In order to receive Emergency Rental Assistance, your landlord must complete a Landlord Verification Form. Additionally, your landlord must either: 

• Register as a Maricopa County vendor and provide their Vendor Code in the Landlord Verification Form

      OR 

• Complete the W-9 Form

You will submit these forms as part of your application. To download a copy of each form, click on the links below.

• Landlord Verification Form
• W9 Form

Please note that additional documentation may be requested by the Human Services Department or your local CAP office as you may qualify for other services. 

To apply for ERA, you have the option to complete either an online application or submit a paper application to your local CAP office. 

Option 1 (Online):

To complete on online application, click on the button below. This will direct you to the Human Services Department’s Client Portal. 

• Once you reach the Client Portal’s homepage, click on the “Start the Application Process” button. 
• You will be directed to the Application Prescreen, which is the first step of the application process. The Application Prescreen will help residents determine if they meet basic eligibility requirements for all available rent and utility assistance. 
• Residents that meet basic eligibility criteria will then be invited to create a Client Portal account and complete an online application, which includes submitting all required documentation. 

Client Portal

Option 2 (In Person):

If you would like to submit an application through your local CAP office, please download the Client Paper Application by clicking on the button below. Please submit the paper application and required documentation to your local CAP office.

Please note that for the Client Paper Application:

• If you have more than two household members, you will need to complete a Household Member Form for each additional household member; and 
• If you are seeking assistance with more than one utility, you will need to complete a Utility Assistance Form for each additional utility. 

Application and Forms:

• Client Paper Application | Solicitud de Papel del Cliente
• Household Member Form | Información del Miembro del Hogar
• Utility Assistance Form | Asistencia con Servicios Públicos