ByHow to Get Rental Assistance in Minnesota
is designed to cushion renters affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and caught up by past rent and utility bills. This program is designed to prevent the eviction of renters due to failure to pay rent within a certain period. If you receive an eviction notice, you must respond to it and appear before the court to show your application for emergency rental assistance. Staff from Minnesota are present at the court to assist you to win your court sessions.
Once you qualify for the program, you can receive up to 18 months of assistance that includes a mix of back and future payments. However, the rent application process can be long and tiresome due to the strict requirements for qualifications. Sometimes you are required to document your last six months' income to act as proof that you need rent assistance. Fortunately, DoNotPay has you covered as it helps you apply for rent assistance quickly and easily.
Rental Assistance in Minnesota State
Through the federal Covid-relief fund, the state has distributed $672 to help renters who have not raised their rent payments due to the pandemic. Though the program rollout started slowly, RentHelpMN has already sent a payment of $256 million out of the $372 million requested from 59,000 applicants.
RentHelpMN is not a state-only program that had a deadline at the end of 2020, but part of the federal Covid -19 Relief Act of December 2020 and the planned American Rescue Plan (ARP) to be spent through 2022. According to the program, the available funds are expected to be distributed by the second quarter of the year 2022. The funding received by the HA of Minnesota states amounted up to $300 million from the first federal act.
RentHelpMN offers different types of assistance, which include:
- Housing Trust Fund Rental Assistance
- Bridges Rental Assistance
- OPWA Rental Assistance
Getting is made easier with DoNotPay.
The table below outlines the types of assistance and their description.
| Name | Description |
| Housing Trust Fund Rental Assistance | You are provided with temporary rental assistance and other housing-related expenses like application fees through this program. The fund is aimed at helping you attain your housing stability and transit to a permanent housing opportunity. |
| Bridges Rental Assistance | This program is designed to provide you with housing assistance if you have a low income or mental illness. It is a program offered to you as you wait for another rental subsidy or Housing Voucher. |
| OPWA Rental Assistance | This program is designed to help you if you are from a low-income background and living with HIV/AIDS. |
Eligibility Criteria for RentHelpMN Program
You are eligible to apply for the program if you meet the following criteria:
- Household is renting – You must have a lease agreement signed between you and your landlord to prove your rent.
- Household experienced Covid-19 hardship – You must demonstrate how the pandemic impacted your ability to pay rent directly or indirectly.
- Household meets income eligibility – You must provide documentation to show that your income is below the set limit for the program.
- Household is behind on rent – during Phase 1 of the program, you must be behind on your rent to apply for the program.
How Long Does It Take To Receive Rental Assistance in Minnesota?
Once your application has been approved to be legible, rent assistance is sent directly to the property owner as soon as possible. Due to heavy ongoing applications, it is not possible to give you a timeline of when you will receive your rent assistance.
How to Apply for Housing Assistance in Minnesota by Yourself
You can apply for Housing Assistance in Mn using the following steps:
- Before you start the application, check whether you satisfy eligibility criteria and, if so, gather all necessary documentation.
- Fill out all the pre-screening questions at the Covid-19 Emergency Rental Program.
- When you receive a message showing that you are eligible for the program, start your application and fill in your details.
- Complete your application by uploading all the required documents
- Constantly check the status of your application (renthelpmn.org)
- Your application will then be reviewed, and your landlord contacted for any additional information.
Using DIY methods to apply for rent assistance can be time-consuming due to the eligibility criteria you have to follow.
How to Apply for Rent Assistance Using DoNotPay
Here are the four steps:
- Search for Rental Assistance on DoNotPay.
- Put together a list of your income, debts, expenses, and assets. If you need help accessing information like your credit report, DoNotPay can help you get your report.
- Let DoNotPay collect your basic information and compose a letter to your local housing authority requesting rental assistance.
- Lastly, DoNotPay will send your letter to your local housing authority.
DoNotPay the Perfect Solution for Applying for Your Rental Assistance
When you use DoNotPay, you will get the responses you are looking for every time. DoNotPay is:
- Fast. Quickly get started by clicking a button.
- Easy. All you need to do is provide DoNotPay with some basic information. We’ll take care of the rest!
- Successful. DoNotPay always gets things done. We won’t stop fighting for you until you receive the assistance you need.
What Else Can DoNotPay Offer You?
Apart from helping you apply for rent assistance, we also provide other rental services:
- Learn about the rental housing assistance program
- Learn about rental assistance
- Learn about Erap
- Learn about government assistance for rent
- Learn about how to seek help in paying your rent
- Learn about resources for rental assistance
- Learn how to get help with rent
- Learn how long it takes to get rental assistance
- Learn about Hud rental assistance
- Learn how to get help pay your rent and avoid eviction
Applying for rent assistance in MN has never been this easy! Sign up today to get started.