Kansas Emergency Rental Assistance (KERA)

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Emergency Rental Assistance

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

$ 0

Funding Provided

KERA Metrics by County

View KERA statistics for each of the 105 Kansas counties.

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

October 12, 2022

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.

October 7, 2022

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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March 24, 2022

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.