Kansas Emergency Rental Assistance (KERA)
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KERA IN HOLD PHASE
Over the past 18 months the Kansas Emergency Rental Assistance (KERA) program has provided more than 75,000 Kansans and 10,000 housing and service providers more than $279 million in rental and utility assistance, preventing thousands of evictions and providing vital services to more than 30,000 families at risk of losing their homes. A year and a half after the temporary pandemic relief initiative launched, the program has received enough applications to exhaust current funds and has now entered the Hold Phase.
Any applications or recertifications submitted during the Hold Phase will be placed on hold status and will not be reviewed or processed unless sufficient program funds are available.

Final Funding Phase: On Oct. 7, 2022, households were encouraged to apply or reapply for final assistance as soon as possible. The program has now received enough applications to exhaust all current funds, ending Final Funding phase. Applications submitted during Final Funding phase will still be reviewed and processed, subject to availability of funds.
Hold Phase: Now that the program has received enough applications to fully expend all KERA funds, applications and recertifications submitted during Hold Phase will be placed on hold status and will not be reviewed or processed unless sufficient program funds are available.
Closure Phase: When all program funds are exhausted the program will close and will stop accepting new applications.
The KERA program is now in Hold Phase. The length and dates of each phase will be subject to a variety of factors, including application volume and amount of assistance requested. Each program closure phase will be announced on the KERA web page.
We realize that the closing of the KERA program may bring stress and uncertainty, as well as more questions for applicants. For a list of additional housing resources and answers to further questions, please refer to our KERA closure FAQs.
The Need
Home has never been more important. Our homes have always provided shelter, but in the midst of the COVID pandemic, home has also become our virtual classroom, workplace, marketplace, and gathering space.
While moratoriums have provided tenants with protection from eviction and temporary assistance has helped some tenants cover rent payments, the bills continue to accrue each month, leaving families unsure how they will pay arrears, and leaving landlords without income.
HOME MEANS MORE
Audience Served
KERA serves Kansans, including those residing in the city of Wichita, who have had difficulty paying or collecting rent, utility, or internet payments during the COVID pandemic.
Funding Source
The Kansas Emergency Rental Assistance (KERA) program is funded through the federal Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. Governor Kelly designated Kansas Housing Resources Corporation (KHRC) to serve as the administrator of the majority of these funds through the KERA program.
Program Description
The Kansas Emergency Rental Assistance (KERA) program provides rent and utility assistance to households that have experienced financial hardships during the COVID pandemic. Landlords and tenants apply via a joint online process. If the application is approved, the landlord or service provider receives funds directly from KERA and applies KERA funds to the applicant’s account. Approved applicants are eligible for up to 18 months of assistance.
KERA METRICS TO DATE

Total Applications Submitted

Applications In Process

Applications funded

Funding Provided
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must meet all of the following criteria:
- Tenant rents their home.
- Tenant’s 2020 or 2021 household income did not exceed 80 percent of their area’s median income.
- At least one member of the tenant household has experienced financial hardship during the COVID pandemic. Hardship may include loss of employment, reduction in household income, or significant expenses (medical bills, personal protective equipment, child care costs, equipment or internet costs to enable online work/schooling, etc.).
- At least one member of the tenant household is uncertain where they will stay or may become homeless without housing assistance.
- Applicant can provide valid proof of identification.
Applicants must not have received assistance from other sources for the same costs and time period for which they are requesting KERA assistance.
Application Process
- Landlord and tenant jointly complete separate online certification.
- Landlord and tenant are notified when application is processed.
- If approved, landlord and/or service provider(s) receive funds directly from KHRC.
- Landlord and/or service providers(s) applies assistance to tenant account.
What does assistance cover?
- Up to 18 months of current and past due household rent.
- Up to three months of prospective household rent at a time, even if the household does not have rental arrears.
- Past due residential utility or home energy expenses for tenants (electric, gas, water, sewer, and trash services), even if the household does not have rental arrears.
- Past due or prospective internet expenses for tenants, paid in one lump sum of $900, provided the tenant household is also eligible to receive assistance for past-due rental or utility bills.
- Additional fees associated with past-due rent or utility bills may be covered, including: reasonable late fees, rental security deposits, application or screening fees, pet fees, utility fees, parking fees, garage fees, and/or legal fees.
Note: All expenses must have been billed or charged April 1, 2020 or later
Partner Search
Is your household in need of additional housing, rental, utility, or other assistance?
Find a provider serving your county to learn about available resources.
Questions?
Contact
785-251-8043
This project is being supported, in whole or in part, by federal award number ERA0032 awarded to Kansas Housing Resources Corporation by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
KERA News

Over the past 18 months the Kansas Emergency Rental Assistance (KERA) program has provided more than 70,000 Kansans and 10,000 housing and service providers more than $250 million in rental and utility assistance, preventing thousands of evictions and providing vital services to more than 30,000 families at risk of losing their homes. A year and a half after the temporary pandemic relief initiative launched, the program has received enough applications to exhaust all current funds and has now entered the Hold Phase.
Any applications or recertifications submitted during Hold Phase will be placed on hold status and will not be reviewed or processed unless sufficient program funds are available.
The closure process follows three phases:
- Final Funding Phase: On Oct. 7, 2022, households were encouraged to apply or reapply for final assistance as soon as possible. The program has now received enough applications to exhaust all current funds, ending Final Funding phase. Applications submitted during Final Funding phase will still be reviewed and processed, subject to availability of funds.
- Hold Phase: Now that the program has received enough applications to fully expend all KERA funds, applications and recertifications submitted during Hold Phase will be placed on hold status and will not be reviewed or processed unless sufficient program funds are available.
- Closure Phase: When all program funds are exhausted the program will close and will stop accepting new applications.
The KERA program is now in Hold Phase. The length and dates of each phase will be subject to a variety of factors, including application volume and amount of assistance requested. Each program closure phase will be announced on the KERA web page.
We realize that the closing of the KERA program may bring stress and uncertainty, as well as more questions for applicants. For a list of additional housing resources and answers to further questions, please refer to our KERA closure FAQs.
Questions? Call 785-251-8043 or email KERA@kshousingcorp.org.
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The KERA program is administered by Kansas Housing Resources Corporation (KHRC), a self-supporting, nonprofit, public corporation committed to helping Kansans access the safe, affordable housing they need and the dignity they deserve. KHRC serves as the state’s housing finance agency, administering essential housing and community programs to serve Kansans.

Remaining funds to be expended soon, tenants and landlords encouraged to apply now
More than 75,000 Kansans and 10,000 housing and service providers have received more than $250 million in rental and utility assistance, preventing thousands of evictions and providing vital services to more than 30,000 families at risk of losing their homes. A year and a half after the temporary initiative launched, the program has nearly exhausted all funds and will wind down in the coming months.
The Kansas Emergency Rental Assistance (KERA) program, established in March 2021 with federal pandemic relief funds, provides up to 18 months of rent and utility assistance for households experiencing financial hardship. Rental assistance is paid directly to housing and service providers, helping landlords cover their operating costs and keep up with essential maintenance and repairs, stimulating the local economy.
Officials anticipate that remaining program funds will be fully expended in the coming weeks and have begun taking steps to close the program.
The closure process will follow three phases. Here’s what this means for Kansas renters in need of assistance:
- Final Funding Phase: Applicants seeking KERA support should apply or reapply as soon as possible to be considered for final funding.
- Hold Phase: Once the program receives enough applications to fully expend all KERA funds, approval of new applications and recertifications will be subject to availability of remaining funds. Applications and recertifications submitted during Hold Phase will be placed on hold and will not be reviewed or processed unless sufficient program funds are available. Pending applications submitted before Hold Phase will continue to be processed until the final application is paid.
- Closure Phase: When all program funds are exhausted the program will close and will stop accepting new applications.
The KERA program is now in Final Funding Phase. The length and dates of each phase will be subject to a variety of factors, including application volume and amount of assistance requested. Each program closure phase will be announced on the KERA web page.
Prior to the KERA program, KHRC administered the Kansas Eviction Prevention Program (KEPP), a federal CARES-Act funded initiative to provide rental assistance to Kansans who had fallen behind on rent payments due to the pandemic. KEPP provided more than $17 million to more than 10,000 Kansas households, ultimately serving 21,642 Kansas residents and more than 4,000 housing providers.
The Kansas Homeowner Assistance Fund remains open and is currently accepting applications. KHRC’s ongoing housing programs will continue to serve Kansans beyond the closure of the KERA program.
For more information and to apply for KERA, visit kshousingcorp.org/emergency-rental-assistance.
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The KERA program is administered by Kansas Housing Resources Corporation (KHRC), a self-supporting, nonprofit, public corporation committed to helping Kansans access the safe, affordable housing they need and the dignity they deserve. KHRC serves as the state’s housing finance agency, administering essential housing and community programs to serve Kansans.

In March of 2021, The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) was passed by congress, and the Kansas Emergency Rental Assistance (KERA) program also opened to serve tenant households that had fallen behind on rent and utilities due to a financial hardship. In a year’s time, the KERA program has disbursed more than $132 million to keep 18,449 families safely and affordably housed through the pandemic. Through continued ARPA funding, KERA remains available to eligible households.
Since the pandemic began, frontline and essential workers have provided invaluable services to keep Kansans healthy. And when those frontline workers become sick or injured, we all count on them to get back on their feet. KERA support allowed one medical worker in Topeka to stay at home while recovering from an injury so she could do just that.
She says, “I’ve been a frontline medical worker for almost nine years; however, I suffered a work injury that has left me with irreversible damage to my entire spine. The injury has forced me to go on short-term disability leave from my job. Even with the short-term leave benefits, health workers barely receive sufficient funds to support themselves, let alone enough to support a family. It’s been especially challenging to cope financially while also enduring COVID-19 twice.”
New KERA guidelines allow eligible households that have suffered a financial hardship at any time during the pandemic to receive up to 18 months of rental and utility assistance, an increase from the previous 15-month maximum. Eligible households can also now request a $900 lump sum in internet assistance.
Because of an increase in medical bills, this Topeka worker will still be able to receive additional KERA funding now that household financial hardships aren’t required to be COVID-19-related. “Back and neck surgery will be inevitable for me in the future,” she says. “Meanwhile, most of my income goes to a stack of medical bills, pain management, medical insurance, and past-due bills. This is why I am beyond grateful for the rental and utility assistance provided by KERA. I’m able to remain in my home to rest and recover so I can eventually get back to work.”
For many Kansans, recovering from the monetary strain of mounting bills, along with past-due rent and utilities, can be nearly impossible. That’s why the potential 18 months of KERA assistance is so vital to alleviating households’ financial burdens while unlocking home for our essential workers and their families. KHRC is proud to assist in our collective economic recovery as we continue to heal from the lingering pains of the pandemic.
For more information about KERA and to apply, visit: kshousingcorp.org/emergency-rental-assistance
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Kansas Housing Resources Corporation (KHRC) is a self-supporting, nonprofit, public corporation committed to helping Kansans access the safe, affordable housing they need and the dignity they deserve. KHRC serves as the state’s housing finance agency, administering essential housing and community programs to serve Kansans.
KERA in the News
Kansas Emergency Rental Assistance (KERA) Program Closes – Kansas Office of Recovery – Oct. 21, 2022
Resources available with WERAP, KERA ending – KAKE – Oct. 19, 2022
BPU makes minor change to cold weather rule – Wyandotte Daily – Oct. 17, 2022
Kansas emergency rental assistance program coming to a close – KMUW – Oct. 12, 2022
EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE IS WINDING DOWN – Fort Scott Biz – Oct. 12, 2022
Kansas emergency rental program enters hold phase as funds dwindle – WIBW – Oct. 12, 2022
KERA to close soon with $250 million used to help pay Kansans’ rent – WIBW – Oct. 9, 2022
COVID Rental Assistance Program Ends in Wichita – 101.3 KFDI – Oct. 8, 2022
City of Wichita ends emergency rental assistance program – MSN – Oct. 7, 2022
City of Wichita ends emergency rental assistance program – KWCH – Oct. 7, 2022
Newstalk: Recovery Connect – KWCH 12 – Aug. 22, 2022
Your Daily Planner: Thursday, May 19 – Shawnee Mission Post – May 19, 2022
Utility, rent and mortgage assistance available – Johnson County News – Mar. 26, 2022
Rental Assistance Still Available – WIBW – Mar. 23, 2022
Kansans claim $125M in rental assistance, funds still available – KSNT – Mar. 21, 2022
New Round of Funding to Help with Rent and Utilities – Kansas Legal Services – Mar. 9, 2022
Forward Ever: Ryan Vincent, Kansas Housing Corp. – Hays Post – Feb. 8, 2022
Give Back Friday: Ryan Vincent, KS Housing Corp – 90.9 The Bridge – Jan. 21, 2022
Many Feel the Chill of Mounting Utility Bills – Flatland – Jan. 20, 2022
JoCo on the Go Podcast: Helping resources – Johnson County Kansas – Jan. 5, 2022
Kansas Officials work to speed distribution of eviction aid – AP News – Dec. 19, 2021
KASB Live Podcast – KASB – Dec. 6, 2021
Nearly 100 receiving emergency rental aid – Emporia Gazette – Dec. 6, 2021
Manhattan Housing Authority launches housing stability program – Little Apple Post – Nov. 12, 2021
Dozens receiving emergency rental aid – Emporia Gazette – Oct. 31, 2021
Delinquent tax sale postponed to April – Wyandotte Daily – Oct. 26, 2021
Rental Assistance Continues in Kansas – WIBW News Now – Oct. 25, 2021
Program Helps Stave off Evictions – KSAL – Oct. 22, 2021
Paying more for housing with eviction moratorium expired – Sept. 23, 2021
Homelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic – Kansas Reflector – Sept. 13, 2021
Manhattan area tenants more than $9 million behind in rent – WIBW – Sept. 8, 2021
Kansas housing issues through the voices of a renter and advocate – Kansas Reflector – Sept. 6, 2021
COVID-19 Response and Recovery – Johnson County Kansas – Aug. 28, 2021
Thousands of Kansans face eviction as federal moratorium ends – Fox 4 KC – Aug. 27, 2021
Kansas agency faces pressure to speed aid, prevent evictions – WIBW – Aug. 27, 2021
Kansas Housing offers statewide rental, utility assistance – Clay Center Dispatch – Aug. 26, 2021
Forward Ever: KHRC Executive Director Ryan Vincent – Hays Post – Aug. 6, 2021
New program helps prevent eviction – Peabody Gazette-Bulletin – Aug. 5, 2021
Kansas landlords react to new eviction moratorium – KWCH – Aug. 5, 2021
BPU Board Exends Moratorium on Disconnects – KSHB 41 – Kansas City – Aug. 3, 2021
Renter assistance still available – WIBW News Now – Aug. 3, 2021
Will aid be enough to prevent Kansas evictions? – Hays Post – Aug. 2, 2021
With eviction ban gone, rental help more important than ever – Fox 4 KC – Aug. 2, 2021
Emergency Rental, Utility Assistance Provided – KSAL – Jul. 31, 2021
Assistance Available when eviction moratorium expires – Hays Post – Jul. 30, 2021
Will aid be enough to prevent Kansas evictions? – KSN – Jul. 30, 2021
Thousands of Kansas Renters Face Eviction but Help Is Available – KPR – Jul. 30, 2021
BPU extends utility cutoff moratorium until Aug. 4 – Wyandotte Daily – Jul. 22, 2021
BPU officials see some improvement in utility assistance program – Wyandotte Daily – Jul. 7, 2021
BPU approves one-month moratorium on utility disconnections – Wyandotte Daily – Jun. 23, 2021
BPU to meet Tuesday night – Wyandotte Daily – Jun. 16, 2021
Kansas eviction ban overturned by lawmakers – KAKE News – May 28, 2021
Statewide rental, utility assistance for those affected by COVID – Hays Post – May 10, 2021
What help is there for families right now? – Kansas Legal Services – May 7, 2021
Statewide Rental, Utility Assistance For Families Impacted By COVID – KSAL – May 6, 2021
Statewide rental, utility assistance for those affected by COVID – Salina Post – May 6, 2021
Statewide Rental, Utility Assistance for Families Affected By COVID-19 – KSCB News – Apr. 30, 2021
Statewide Rental Assistance Announced – Fort Scott Biz – Apr. 22, 2021
Rental assistance possibly on the way in Kansas – KSN News – Apr. 18, 2021
Rental assistance program reopens in Kansas – The Hutchinson News – Apr. 18, 2021
The Kansas City Star – Apr. 15, 2021
Rent, Utility Assistance During the Pandemic – Fort Scott Biz – Apr. 13, 2021
Pandemic assistance: Governor announces $200M for renters – Salina Post – Apr. 7, 2021
Rent and Utility Assistance Available to Kansans – KFDI – Apr. 7, 2021
Owe back rent? What you can do before the eviction moratorium ends – KOAM-TV – Apr. 6, 2021
No Increase in Costs for City of Russell Electric Customers – KRSL – Mar. 31, 2021
No Energy Cost Increase Expected in Russell – Hays Post – Mar. 25, 2021
New program in Kansas helps struggling renters during pandemic – KMBC 9 – Mar. 23, 2021
KERA Program begins in Kansas | KSNF/KODE – FourStatesHomepage.com – KSN News – Mar. 19, 2021
New emergency rental assistance program coming in March – KAKE News – Mar. 19, 2021
KERA Program begins in Kansas – KSNF/KODE – Mar. 18, 2021
Kansas receives $200 million for rental assistance – KAKE News – Mar. 17, 2021
Kansans receive critical funds for housing, utilities – WIBW – Mar. 16, 2021
Kansas bolsters COVID-19 rental-assistance program – KSHB 41 – Kansas City – Mar. 16, 2021
Kansas Gas Service promotes utility bill assistance programs – WIBW – Mar. 16, 2021
Evergy promotes Emergency Rental Assistance Program – News-Press Now – Feb. 19, 2021
Evergy tells where you can get help with utilities and rent payments – KSNT – Feb. 19, 2021
Evergy to end moratorium on service disconnections Monday – KVOE – Feb. 19, 2021
Community Impact: Eviction Prevention – Kansas Office of Recovery – Feb. 19, 2021
Evergy Launches Program To Help Renters Pay Bills – KQ2.com – Feb. 18, 2021
Emergency rental assistance program launches in Kansas – KWCH – Feb. 16, 2021
Electricity cutoffs can resume this week in Kansas City, Kansas – Wyandotte Daily – Feb. 16, 2021
Kansas bolsters COVID-19 rental-assistance program – KSHB 41-Kansas City – Feb. 16, 2021
Pandemic assistance: Governor announces $200M for renters – Salina Post – Feb. 16, 2021
$200 Million In Statewide Rental Assistance Becomes Available – KSCB News – Feb. 16, 2021
Come May, it’s back in the splash for many in Johnson County area – Kansas City Star – Feb. 11, 2021
New emergency rental assistance program coming in March – KAKE-TV – Feb. 11, 2021