Sarasota County: Rent assistance available for residents impacted by COVID-19
Sarasota County
The CRF Rental Assistance Program is in response to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and provides rental assistance to persons who have been directly and negatively impacted by COVID-19. Assistance is offered through the Jurisdiction.
Applicants may request up to five (5) months of rental assistance (current rent or rental arrears) for a rental unit in Sarasota County, with a maximum of $9,000 total in rental assistance offered on a first-eligible, first-served basis. Household income must be at or below 80% of the Area Median Income based on limits published by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, adjusted by household size.
Low (80%) Income Limits for the Sarasota Area
| Number of Persons in Household | Income |
|---|---|
| 1 | $42,850 |
| 2 | $49,000 |
| 3 | $55,100 |
| 4 | $61,200 |
| 5 | $66,100 |
| 6 | $71,000 |
| 7 | $75,900 |
| 8 | $80,800 |
OHCD will accept applications September 8, 2020 through September 30, 2020 and will determine applicant assistance eligibility. Applicants may access the application (external) beginning September 8, 2020.
A limited number of hard copies of the application will be available at each public library, the City Hall Annex at 1565 First Street, Sarasota, FL 34236, and the City of North Port Family Services Center at 6919 Outreach Way, North Port, FL 34287 on September 8, 2020 at 10 a.m. Paper applications must be sent by mail to the Office of Housing and Community Development at 111 South Orange Avenue, Suite 103, Sarasota, FL 34236.
Payments will be made to landlords or property management companies, not to individual applicants. The landlord must agree to participate in this program and will be responsible for providing a current lease with the applicant, a notice of delinquent rent (if applicable), as well as a completed W-9 form. W-9 and Vendor Setup Forms are available in the Document Library below.
Applicants will be responsible for providing the following:
- Applicant information: legal name, address of rental unit, email address, date of birth, marital status, and other demographic data, including race, ethnicity, special needs, and veteran status.
- A list of all other household members residing in the unit, indicating the relationship of each member to the Head of Household.
- One form of ID (valid Florida driver’s license or state issued identification, U.S. passport or social security card). A birth certificate may be submitted for children who do not have one of the forms listed above.
- Income (wages, salaries and tips, alimony, child support, military income, part-time income, temporary income, TANF, social security, unemployment compensation and other income) for all household members.
- How the household was impacted by COVID-19 (“hardship”).
In the event additional documentation or information is needed, the applicant will have five (5) calendar days to provide such documentation; if not received within five (5) calendar days, the applicant will be put on a waiting list for consideration should additional funding become available. Required forms and identification documentation can be 1) scanned and uploaded, or 2) photographed with an electronic device and uploaded through the application platform, or 3) sent to the Office of Housing and Community Development at 111 South Orange Avenue, Suite 103, Sarasota, FL 34236.
If the applicant has received or receives any proceeds from any source that covers the rental expenses covered by the CRF assistance provided, the applicant agrees to promptly pay such amounts to the Jurisdiction.