The State of Georgia Rental Assistance Program

Frequently Asked Questions

The Georgia Rental Assistance Program is no longer accepting new tenant applications. All completed applications currently pending in the portal will be processed in the order in which they were received and/or the prioritization designated by the U.S. Treasury and program guidelines.

TENANTS WITH EXISTING APPLICATIONS AND/OR RECERTIFICATIONS PENDING: If you are a tenant who has already submitted a completed application or recertification request, you will continue to be able to access your application in the portal using your log-in information. To access the portal, click here. Please continue to monitor your portal messages for any application updates.
LANDLORDS WHOSE TENANTS HAVE PENDING APPLICATIONS: Landlords can submit applications in response to tenant applications that have already been submitted in the portal. Landlords can click here to submit an application.
If I have an existing application, will it still be processed?

Yes, all completed applications currently pending in the portal will be processed in the order in which they were received and/or the prioritization designated by the U.S. Treasury and program guidelines.  To access the portal, click here. Please continue to monitor your portal messages for any application updates.

If I have not already applied for rental assistance with the Georgia Rental Assistance Program by October 28, 2022, what are my options?

If you have not already applied for emergency rental assistance through the GRA Program as of October 28, 2022, you will not be able to receive assistance from the GRA program, but, there may be other funding available through one of the other 12 ERA programs throughout the state of Georgia. Here is the list of the other 12 jurisdictions who may have funding:

The GRA Program cannot guarantee that any of these programs will have funding when you apply and you must apply for each program and meet their specific eligibility guidelines to determine if you are eligible for assistance.

What if I have already received some rental assistance through the GRA Program and my recertification request is pending in the portal?

The GRA Program will review and process all recertifications that were pending as of October 28, 2022. If your recertification was pending in the portal as of this date, it will be processed in the order in which it was received and/or the prioritization designated by the U.S. Treasury and program guidelines. No recertification requests received after October 28, 2022 will be processed.

If a pending tenant application is already in the portal as of October 28, 2022, can a landlord still submit an application regarding this tenant application?

Yes, a landlord can still complete an application regarding any completed tenant application that is pending in the portal as of October 28, 2022.

Who is eligible?

Those who qualify for unemployment or have experienced a financial hardship since March 13, 2020. Those who demonstrate a risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability. Those who have a household income at or below 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI). Priority is given to households with incomes below 50% of the AMI, those receiving a monthly federal subsidy (e.g. Housing Choice Voucher, Public Housing, Project Based Section 8, and households in which one or more members are unemployed and have been unemployed for 90 days. Program eligibility, for those receiving federal subsidies, is limited to the tenant’s portion of the rent.

What documents will a tenant need to show eligibility?

Renters will need the following documents/items (e.g., copies, pictures, screenshots, etc.) along with their signed, fully completed application. The application and portal will specify the actual documents required.

  • Identification (State ID or a passport)
  • Income documents for every adult (age 18 and older) in the household and unearned income attributable to a minor
  • An eviction notice, past due rent notice, past due utility bill, or Statement of Housing Instability Form
  • Copy of the fully signed lease
  • Proof of unemployment qualification OR documents showing a reduction in income, significant costs, or financial hardship, and the COVID-19 Hardship (Statement of Hardship) document
  • If applying for utility assistance, copies of your most recent utility bills showing the amount owed, the utility provider, and account number
See the full list of required documentation.
What documents will the landlord need to provide?
  • Completed GRA Landlord Application
  • Identification
  • Proof of ownership and Authorization/Agreement to act on behalf of the owner or management company
  • Copy of the lease
  • Ledger showing tenant’s payment history in 2020 and 2021 and the Statement of Delinquent Rent form
  • W-9 and bank information for ACH payment
See the full list of required documentation.
Who is not eligible?
  • Households with incomes above 80% of Area Median Income.
  • Renters that cannot show they have experienced a financial hardship since March 13, 2020, or risk of homelessness or housing instability.
  • Homeowners – mortgage assistance is available at www.georgiamortgageassistance.ga.gov.
How much rent can you pay?

Payments, including arrearages and future payments, may not exceed a combined total of 18 months. There is no limit on the amount of money that can be received for rental arrearages and utilities.

I have fallen behind on my rent, what can I do now?

Visit Georgia Rental Assistance ga.gov to make sure you are eligible for this program. Then, talk to your landlord and let them know about this program. Inform them that they will need to submit their application as well to receive funding. Next, start looking at the documentation requirements on the Georgia Rental Assistance Program's website and begin collecting them so that you will have them ready during the application process. Lastly, apply through our online application on our website.

Which Jurisdictions in Georgia does GRA cover?

The Georgia Rental Assistance Program is now funding statewide.

Why not fund everywhere from the start?

Treasury has released extensive policy guidance that states, and local governments are expected to follow. The decision to not fund statewide from day one was designed to comply with this guidance.

I filled out my application on BLANK date, when can I expect a response?

Our goal is to process applications within 3-4 weeks if all required documents are uploaded and complete.

I submitted my application and haven’t heard from anyone yet?

All application status updates will be communicated through the application portal. Applicants should continue to monitor the portal for all updates.

It’s been months and no one has reached out to me yet. What can I do?

You may email customer service at rentalassistance@dca.ga.gov and your request will be directed for follow-up.

If I’ve already received assistance before but I’ve fallen behind again, can I receive assistance again?

Applicants are eligible for up to 18 months of assistance. If an applicant has not reached the 18-month benchmark, they may submit a recertification request and provide the required documents. A new application is not needed. Applicants may use the same email address and password to start their recertification. Recertification forms are located at https://georgiarentalassistance.ga.gov/required-documents.

My application status says, “Payment Scheduled”, when will I receive my payment?

The payment schedule date is indicated in the application portal and will reflect as ‘Pending” until it is actually paid. Once the payment is issued, the status will reflect as “Paid” in the portal.

My application status says, “Documentation Needed”, what does that mean?

The assigned processor has identified that additional documents are needed before a determination can be made. All request for additional information needed will be communicated through the application portal. Applicants should continue to monitor all communication through the portal and submit the required documents as soon as possible.