Fairfax County Emergency Rental & Utility Assistance
Fairfax County is administering relief for renters experiencing a negative financial impact due to or during the COVID-19 pandemic through the Fairfax County Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) Program. Through this program, you can apply (or your landlord may apply on your behalf) to receive funds to pay delinquent rent or utility arrear payments back to March 13, 2020, and up to three months of payments into the future to maintain housing stability. The total payments may not exceed a total of 18 months of rental assistance per household. Individuals who have previously received assistance from Fairfax County may apply again through this new program.
There are two ways to access emergency rental assistance:
The ERA Program will provide financial help on behalf of renters who meet the following criteria:
Property Size |
0 Bedrooms (Studio/Efficiency) |
1 Bedroom | 2 Bedrooms | 3 Bedrooms | 4 Bedrooms |
100% of FMR | $1,539 | $1,567 | $1,785 | $2,260 | $2,713 |
150% of FMR | $2,309 | $2,351 | $2,678 | $3,390 | $4,070 |
Household Size | 1 Person | 2 People | 3 People | 4 People | 5 People | 6 People | 7 People | 8 People |
Very Low (50% of AMI) | $49,850 | $56,950 | $64,050 | $71,150 | $76,850 | $82,550 | $88,250 | $93,950 |
Low (80% of AMI) | $63,000 | $72,000 | $81,000 | $90,000 | $97,200 | $104,400 | $111,600 | $118,800 |
*Tenants that do not meet these criteria may be eligible for other assistance programs. Have them call Coordinated Services Planning at 703-222-0880, TTY 711, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., for information.
Required documentation includes:
When coordinating Rental Assistance directly with county residents, staff will:
Fairfax County Coordinated Services Planning (through the CSP Call Center and the Landlord Portal) will determine program eligibility and then refer the eligible tenant or landlord to a designated contracted Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) which will process all financial payments on behalf of the applicant. Payments will be made directly to the landlord and/or respective utility company. The applicant will not receive direct financial assistance.
Eligible households that qualify as very low income (less than 50% Area Median Income) and/or households in which one or more member is unemployed and has been unemployed for 90 days will be given priority. The program will process applications as they are received. At this time, funds are available to provide financial assistance to all anticipated eligible applicants. If in administering the Emergency Rental Assistance Program, the program becomes oversubscribed and there are insufficient funds to provide financial assistance to all eligible applicants, eligible households that are very low income and/or households in which one or more member is unemployed and has been unemployed for 90 days will be flagged by CSP specialist and these referrals will be paid first.
The county will utilize the eAssist database to track eligibility and payments made on behalf of eligible households. Data will be extracted from this system to meet federal reporting requirements.
View Public Service Announcements (PSA) on the Program
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View Eviction Prevention Main Page for More Information and Resources on Maintaining Stable Housing.