Temporary Rental Housing Assistance Program (TRHAP)
If you need help paying your rent due to the pandemic, get started by seeing if you fit the eligibility criteria (below) and applying to the program at the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority website below. The application is quick and easy to fill out: Simplified TRHAP Application
To be eligible for this program, the following must be true:
- The rental assistance you seek must be associated with your primary residence
- Your income falls below 80% of the average median income
- You do not currently receive any other housing subsidies
- You can demonstrate a COVID-related hardship
Individuals and families deemed eligible may be approved for up to a total of $4,000.00 of rental assistance to cover both missed payments (arrearage) and payments going forward in the period between March 1, 2020 and March 1, 2021, when the program ends. Payment from the CT DOH is made directly to your landlord to cover arrearage and/or a portion of future payments, depending on your current monthly income and monthly rent obligation.
Apply online at the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority or call 1-860-785-3111 to apply and speak to a Call Center Representative to find out if you are eligible for rental assistance. The program will accept applications from all eligible Connecticut residents, regardless of whether they received unemployment benefits and/or Pandemic Unemployment Assistance.
Tenants will be required to pay 30% of their lowest gross income amount (received in March, April, OR May) for rent to their landlord for the months they receive TRHAP funds.
Payments will be made directly to the Landlord/Property Manager on the tenant’s behalf.
Some rental assistance is also available for undocumented migrants. Contact the Connecticut Institute for Refugees and Immigrants (CIRI) at (203) 612-5464 or rentalassist@cirict.org to apply or for more information.
Once you have applied through the State and have been accepted into the program, you will be triaged to one of the State’s Housing Counseling Agencies (HCA’s). A Housing Counselor will reach out to you from the assigned agency to discuss next steps and collect application materials to submit to the State Dept. of Housing for approval.
Frequently Asked Questions
Based on Addendum 1 worksheet and monthly assistance calculations, is it possible that some tenants could get less than $4,000 in assistance?
Yes, a tenant could get LESS THAN $4,000 based on the monthly assistance
calculations. e.g. if a tenant’s monthly assistance is $215 multiplied by 6 months =
$1,290. In which, $1,290 would then be sent out in one lump sum to the landlord.
What guarantees or protections do I have as the owner if the tenant does not pay their portion of the rent?
This program was designed to provide rental assistance on behalf of qualified tenants, with funding payable directly to respective landlords. Allocated benefits, at this time, are limited to the amount specified in Answer #3 above. If tenants are not paying their total monthly family contribution towards the rent, the Landlord can report this to the HCA. If it is determined that the tenant is non-compliant, the agreement may be terminated, at which time, the Landlord can initiate eviction proceedings barring any existing eviction moratoriums in place by Executive Order.
In the case of non-payment, can I (Landlord), at that time, file for notice to quit if I am within the parameters that the Governor has set in his latest executive order?
On September 30, 2020, Governor Lamont signed Executive Order No. 9E extending the State’s residential eviction moratorium until January 1, 2021. If the TRHAP contract is still in effect, regardless of the expiration of EO No. 9E, the Landlord cannot evict the tenant.
It is unclear over what length of time the assistance covers. Is it from the beginning of the lease, or from the "Effective date"? (i.e. does it at all address the amount that the tenant is currently behind?)
If the contract is terminated by November 1, 2020, the landlord still cannot evict the tenant per EO No. 9E which is effective until January 1, 2021. If the contract is effective past January 1, 2021, the landlord cannot evict the tenant until the contract is terminated.
How do you define in section I.B. the "last day of the calendar month during which the last payment under the program is made"?
This refers to the date that the last payment under the contract is made to the landlord. e.g. if the last payment is made on May 1, 2021, the contract will be effective until May 31, 2021.
Does section I. A. within the application for assistance need to be filled in?
Yes, all information in the contract, including Section I. A. must be completed before the contract is executed.
Does the new executive order signed by the Governor, change any of this document? If so, how is it changed?
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Can DOH clarify payments will go directly to the landlord or the tenant?
All payments will be sent directly to the landlords. Landlords must complete the TRHAP Landlord Direct Deposit Form. Payments will not be sent to the tenant.
Arrearage totals differ from the landlord and the tenant due to the landlord including late fees for the months not paid. Should be include the late fees into the contract?
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Is there a way to split assistance between two landlords due to selling/purchasing of the property? With back rent going to the old and any leftover funds going to the new?
There cannot be a contract with a Landlord who is no longer the owner of the property. At any rate, the onus, if agreed upon, would be on the new owner to cut the arrearage payment to the former owner, if any amount is due to them.
Where will the direct deposit payment come from and how will landlords know who the direct deposit payment is for?
The direct deposit payment will come from “John D’Amelia & Associates”, the third- party State contractor that is issuing the TRHAP payments. Beginning on 10/9/2020 when a direct deposit payment is processed, Landlords will receive an e-mail to the address they provided that includes payment confirmation details. If the Landlord does not provide an e-mail address, they will not receive the payment confirmation.
The applicants lease expired in August, the applicant has stated that they are moving out October 15th. The landlord is concerned that by signing the contract she will be obligated to let the applicant stay there until March if they do not move out on their own. The applicant is currently behind in the amount of $7,500.00. Can you provide some guidance on this?
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The contract will end on or before March 1, 2021 or when the monthly assistance reaches $4,000.00?
The contract terminates 3/1/2021.
Are the utilities that the resident is responsible to pay on her current lease stays in affect?
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If the resident does not pay the family contribution portion, a notice to quit cannot be served nor can a late fee be applied. However, the landlord can contact DOH regarding the nonpayment which will terminate the contract?
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Section IV Transfer of Contract – Is this to mean that if we (Landlord) wanted to sell the property, we could not do so without the consent of the HCA?
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Once the contract is signed, the landlord cannot proceed with any eviction proceedings until March 1 of 2021. Even if the $4,000.00 only covers arrearage?
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The contract remains in place until March of 2021 even if the payment of $4,000.00 will only cover rent until December?
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If the applicant does not pay their rent for any month (December) is the contract terminated?
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