To provide relief due to COVID-19 pandemic on renters and their landlords, Congress created the Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA). Round 1 of IERA started in 2020 and ended September 30, 2022.
A second round of ERA funding was included from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. Round 2 of IERA started in October 2022 and the funds must be used by September 30, 2025. However, the program may stop taking applications before that date.
In Indiana this program is ran by the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (known as IHCDA).
To qualify for Indiana Emergency Rental Assistance (IERA) program you must meet the following guidelines:
Have to been financially impacted by COVID19, this impact can go back to 4/1/2020.
Have a housing instability (at least one of the following must be true);
- be behind on your rent
- have been issued an eviction notice
- have a disconnection notice on one of your utilities
- or pay more than 30% of your monthly income to rent alone
To complete your rental assistance application, you will need to turn in the following documents:
- Lease
- Drivers Licenses for all adults in the home (front and back)
- Income documentation:
- Either 2 months of paystubs
OR
- A benefit letter from WIC, TANF, SNAP, HIP, SSI, EAP, or proof from your Public Housing Authority that you receive a Housing Choice Voucher or live in a Public Housing unit will speed up the review of your application.
Enrollment:
Please call Indiana 211 to find out if the IERA program is currently accepting applications.
Pending Applicants can reach out to Customer Service at:
Phone: 317-800-6000
Email: IERA@ihcda.in.gov
Active Applications:
The Indiana Housing & Community Development Authority (IHCDA) is processing submitted applications at this time. For questions regarding application status please reach out to Customer Service (both the email and phone for customer service is listed above).
Application Status:
IHCDA will send an email to applicants’ registered email address notifying them of their acceptance or denial into the IERA program.
IHCDA will also send an email to applicants if additional information or documentation is required from the applicant to determine IERA eligibility.
Applicants may inquire about the status of their application by contacting IHCDA/IERA’s customer service.
IERA Recertification:
Individuals who enrolled in IERA 1 (2022)
Approved IERA 1 applications must be recertified every 3 months. Clients are eligible to recertify 45 days prior to the 3-month deadline and may do so by visiting IndianaHousingNow.Org
Individuals who enrolled in IERA 2 (2023)
Successful enrollment in IERA 2 will provide applicants with a one-time rental assistance payment of 3 months forward facing rent and any arrears.
Applicants who enroll in Housing Counseling Services with one of our network providers may qualify for 3 additional months of rental assistance by meeting the following criteria:
- Applicant has applied to IERA 2 and received assistance
- Applicant is currently participating in Housing Counseling/Case Management
- Applicant has achieved an improved score of self-sufficient or thriving in any one of the twelve life areas of the Family Development Matrix wherein the household initially scored lower than self-sufficient.
Housing Counseling and Navigation Services:
IERA 2 network providers can assist Indiana renters by providing housing stability counseling that focus on improvement in life areas including but not limited to education, income, housing, and employment.
To sign up for housing counseling services contact:
Please call your local ICAP office to sign up for IERA2 Housing Counseling Services. You may be added to a waitlist at this time depending on the county you reside.
Legal Assistance:
If you are a renter in need of housing legal assistance, please contact Indiana Legal Help to request low and no cost legal help near you.
Legal Assistance Kiosks:
We now have an IBF Kiosk online and available for use in ALL 92 counties. A map is available on IndianaLegalHelp.org .
To access the map, you may go to IndianaLegalHelp.org. Scroll directly to the bottom of the page and select “Partner Resources” from the column entitled “Shortcuts”.
You can expand the map to search for kiosks by geography. Once you identify the kiosk nearest the desired location, you may click the icon for the specific address. Alternatively, you may click the “down arrow” next to the word library. This expands the list to show all kiosks located in libraries, courts, and other locations. You may then click the link for the specific address and building type.
If you live outside ICAPs service area, please click on the link below to locate your ERA2 provider: