A request for reconsideration is a request from an applicant, a tenant or landlord, to re-review their file for eligibility or re-review the amount of assistance when the applicant disagrees with the outcome of a programmatic decision. A landlord cannot make a request for reconsideration on behalf of a tenant.

A request for reconsideration must be submitted in writing and received within ten (10) business days of the date of notice of program determination. Applicants with non-responsive landlords may submit their request for reconsideration within twenty (20) business days from the date of notice of program determination.

Applicants, tenant or landlord, may present their case for reconsideration (including presenting documentation, explanations, and clarifications) in cases of an ineligibility determination or to dispute the amount of eligible assistance. An applicant can log into their account to submit a reconsideration request, which is the same process an applicant uses to apply for assistance. Alternatively, requests for reconsideration may be submitted in writing by email at reconsiderations@ourflorida.com, or by mail to:

OUR Florida Program
ATTN: Reconsideration Requests
2002 Old St. Augustine Road, Building C
Tallahassee, Fl 32301

Additional information on reconsideration request, to include the form for filing a request, are available online at www.OURFlorida.com/ReconsiderationRequests.

In addition to the above, the following FAQ is also recommended to address the appropriate process landlord must apply when they are returning rental assistance payments to OUR Florida.

If a landlord has chosen or is required to return rental assistance funds to OUR Florida, they are required to make payments in the form of a check payable to Tidal Basin Consulting and mailed to:

OUR Florida                                                       
2002 Old St. Augustine Rd.,
Building C
Tallahassee, FL 32301                                                                    

All funds must be returned in the form of checks and must be accompanied by a note indicating the following:

1. Address of the rental property
2. Tenant’s name (the primary applicant’s name as outlined in the lease)
3. Brief description of the reason or reasons for returning the funds

If you are a tenant and assistance is being provided to a landlord or utility company on your behalf the assistance is not considered income.

If you are a landlord and received ERA funds, it is considered as income.

The IRS has published guidance specific to ERAP:  https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/emergency-rental-assistance-frequently-asked-questions

You are eligible if you:

• Rent your home, apartment, or other residential dwelling in Florida.
• Earn an income at or below 80% of the area’s median income (AMI).
• Have qualified for unemployment, experienced a loss of income, incurred significant costs or faced financial hardships due to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency.
• Are at risk of losing your home, experiencing housing instability or are living in unsafe or unhealthy conditions.

The Department of Children and Families’ Office on Homelessness works in partnership with 27 Continuums of Care that help provide direct services to individuals and families who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness. These services include rapid rehousing and rental and utility assistance. 

Click here to learn more about how to find your local Continuum of Care to explore your eligibility.

The Department of Children and Families’ Office on Homelessness works in partnership with 27 Continuums of Care that help provide support and financial assistance to landlords who provide housing options to individuals and families who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness. 

Click here to learn more about how to find your local Continuum of Care to explore this opportunity.

Please answer the questions here to determine if you are eligible

Assistance is prioritized to households with incomes less than 50% of the area median income and households with one or more members that have been unemployed for at least 90 days. A funding allocation is provided by county with separate allocations to 1) households with income at or below 50% AMI or in which a household member has been unemployed for 90 days or more and 2) households with income 50-80% AMI.

Client applications will be processed on a first approved, first funded basis.

If funding for the under 50% AMI/unemployed group is exhausted and funding remains in the 50-80% AMI group, clients from the priority population may be paid from that allocation. If both funding allocations for that county are exhausted, clients must be placed on a waiting list.

If funding for the 50-80% AMI group is exhausted, clients may NOT be paid from the under 50% funding but must be placed on a waiting list.

If you have already received assistance through CARES Act, state and local relief funds or private, non-profit organizations, the rent or utility bills that were covered by these programs are not eligible for payments through OUR Florida. Outstanding rent and utility bills that were not covered by these programs may be eligible for support from OUR Florida.

Any one of the following documents can be used to provide proof of identification:

• Driver’s license
• State identification
• College identification
• Passport
• Birth certificate
• Military identification
• Tribal identification
• Employer identification
• DHS issued immigration identification/documents, including employment authorization document (EAD), documentation of lawful permanent residency including i-551, or i-94, certificate of naturalization, certificate of citizenship, foreign passport with a valid unexpired us visa.

Any one of the following documents can be used to provide proof of a living arrangement:

• Current rent or lease agreement
• Expired rent or lease agreement and proof of ongoing rent such as:
  - Receipts for rent payments
  - Current utility payments for the property in the name of the renter
  - Cancelled check stubs showing purpose and landlord
  - Bank records that demonstrate continuing rent payments
• Attestation by the landlord of an agreement to rent and payments made accompanied by:
  - Evidence of payments by the renter

If no lease or attestation by the landlord is available, the renter must demonstrate a minimum pattern of three months of rent payments (such as cancelled checks or bank statements that identify the landlord and purpose of payments).

Each adult household member who reports cash income must submit a signed self-attestation of cash income. Income will be verified through other sources.

The State defines a reduction in household income relative to the AMI of the applicant household.

For a household with an AMI of less than 50%:
A reduction in income of more than $60 per month.

For a household with an AMI of more than 50% but less than 80% AMI:
A reduction of income or more than $100 per month

An applicant qualifying under this section must provide an attestation.

Applicants must demonstrate that they had a loss of income or incurred significant costs due to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. Eligible applicants may have incurred expenses related to:

• Treatment for the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency;
• Actions taken to prevent infection;
• Costs for relocation due to financial or health circumstances;
• Purchases to support remote work or school;
• Childcare needs due to school closure;
• Cost of alternative transportation;
• Increase in utility costs; or
• Penalties for late rent or utilities.

For a household with an AMI of less than 50%: Total cost incurred must be greater than or equal to $400.

For a household with an AMI of more than 50% but less than 80% AMI: Total cost incurred must be greater than or equal to $800.

An applicant qualifying under this section must provide an attestation.

There are multiple ways to prove a risk of homelessness or housing instability, including:

• The calculated household income is less than 30% of the AMI.
• Housing costs exceed 50% of the current household income.
• One or more members of the household has moved due to economic reasons at least twice in the last 60 days.
• The household has been notified that their right to occupy their current housing or living situation will be terminated, including at the end of the eviction moratorium.
• The household has received a notice of vacate or eviction since March 13, 2020.
• The applicant household has past due rent or utilities.
• The applicant lives in a hotel or motel.

Verification may include:

• Past due rent notices
• Utility bills in the name of an applicant since 3/13/2020 at different addresses
• Written notice to vacate the dwelling for failure to pay rent
• Eviction notice
• Notice of termination of tenancy
• Established pattern of housing instability, including
  - Mail from a government agency received at different addresses dated or postmarked after 3/13/2020
  - Notice to vacate from prior address since 3/13/2020
  - Notice of Eviction from prior address since 3/13/2020
  - Prior rental agreements

Landlords or tenants will submit an application online at www.OURFlorida.com. A landlord may help a tenant complete the application, but the tenant must sign it. OUR Florida Program will review the information submitted to determine if any additional information is required and verify the information. If the applicant is determined eligible for relief, the payment will be calculated. Once completed, the applicant will receive notification of eligibility, and payments will be made directly to the business, landlord and/or utility provider.

To be eligible you must:

• Rent your home, apartment, or other residential dwelling in Florida Earn an income at or below 80% of the area’s median income (AMI).
• Have qualified for unemployment, experienced a loss of income, incurred significant costs or faced financial hardships due to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency; and
• Are at risk of losing your home, experiencing housing instability or are living in unsafe or unhealthy conditions.

Once an applicant submits all required documentation to respond to the requirements, OUR Florida will review that documentation to confirm applicant eligibility.

OUR Florida is Florida’s state-wide federally-funded Emergency Rental Assistance program. It is implemented under the authority of the Department of Children and Families.

Both the state and city or county programs operate under similar eligibility requirements.

Applicants receiving assistance through a city or county program are not eligible to receive the same benefits through OUR Florida.

OUR Florida program will work in close partnership with local city and county governments, and other entities, to ensure assistance is not duplicative.”

Yes. OUR Florida is available to all qualified applicants in Florida, even if you live in a city or county that has its own local program.

However, if you received Emergency Rental Assistance or other programs through your city or county, you are not eligible for assistance through OUR Florida for rent or utilities for months you previously received assistance.

Complete applications for rental assistance are processed in the order in which they are received by the OUR Florida program. Once a complete tenant and a complete landlord application are submitted, all documentation will be reviewed for eligibility and verified. If direct deposit is the selected payment method, transfer of funds may be expected within 18 days of when a complete application is filed. Timelines may differ if an alternate payment method is requested, or additional documentation is required for program verification.

Once an application is submitted, it is reviewed to determine if the applicant is eligible and to calculate payment. Once approved, OUR Florida will issue payments directly to the business, landlord and/or utility provider.

To check the status of your application and payment visit www.OURFlorida.com.

The application can be submitted by either the landlord or eligible household member.  The identity of the renter and the landlord must be established as a condition of eligibility.  A renter must sign the application for assistance attesting that all information is correct. The application must be signed by the renter and required documentation may be submitted by the landlord on behalf of the renter, to the extent feasible.

Applicants who reside in subsidized housing, such as Low-Income Housing Credit, Public Housing, or Indian Housing Block Grant-assisted housing are eligible for the tenant-owed portion of rent, if the household has not or will not be reimbursed funds by another federal assistance program. An attestation from the client is required.

Determination of rent amounts must be determined by a current lease, signed by the applicant and the landlord or sublessor, that identifies the unit where the applicant resides and establishes the rental payment amount where possible.  Fees included in the lease, whether separately identified or included in an overall rent payment, such as pet fees or garbage fees, are eligible for assistance.

If a household does not have a signed lease, monthly rental amounts may be documented by:

• Canceled checks or payment record
• Attestation by the landlord who can be identified as the verified owner or management agent of the unit

If no lease or attestation by the landlord is available, the renter must demonstrate a minimum of three months pattern of rent payments (such as canceled checks or bank statements that identify the landlord and purpose of payments). 

Arrearages must be documented by a notice of late rent, a notice of eviction, eviction court filing information, or a signed attestation by the landlord. 

The maximum payment to an eligible household, including rent and utilities is $2,000 per month. The maximum total payment for any household over the course of the program is $15,000.

Payments for electricity, gas, water and sewer, and trash removal may only be approved for separate charges to the client must be made directly to utilities.  All payments for utilities and home energy costs must be supported by a bill, or invoice in the name of the tenant reflecting the address for each qualifying utility for a period after April 1, 2020. Utilities and home energy costs that are covered by the landlord are treated as rent.  Arrearages owed in the name of the primary applicant for expenses after April 1, 2020 on a different property may be included.

Telephone, cable, and internet are NOT considered utilities. 

The applicant is not required to apply for or receive rental assistance in order to request assistance for utility arrearages. Utility assistance may be provided for households receiving rental assistance under tenant-based or project-based Section 8, other HUD rental assistance or a USDA Rural Development rental assistance program, living in a public housing unit, or already receiving emergency rental assistance from another source. Utility and/or home energy arrearages may cover a period equal to or less than twelve (12) months and must only be paid in arrears.

Yes. The maximum payment to an eligible household, including rent and utilities is $2,000 per month. The maximum total payment for any household over the course of the program is $15,000. If monthly rent exceeds the maximum rent amount arrearages can still be reduced up to the maximum amount of available assistance per household, $15,000.

Economic Self Sufficiency Resources

• Continuum of Care Lead Agencies
  • www.myflfamilies.com/service-programs/homelessness/local-providers.shtml
    • Provide access to emergency shelters, rental assistance and case management to prevent individuals becoming homeless, and rapid re-housing of individuals from shelters or homelessness.
• Local Providers of Service:
  • www.myflfamilies.com/service-programs/access/community-partner-network.shtml
    • The Economic Self Sufficiency (ESS) Community Partner Network Serve as access points for individuals and families to apply for benefits and provide programs and services that help eliminate barriers to economic independence.
  • www.myfloridamyfamily.com
    • MyFloridaMyFamily is an online resource that connects individuals and families with resources in their local community.
• Economic Self Sufficiency Portal
  • www.myflfamilies.com/service-programs/access/
    • ACCESS Florida provides an application for Food Assistance, Cash Assistance, and Medicaid, and allows applicants to view or update their case, make changes, and receive updates about their application from DCF.

Statewide Domestic Violence Hotline

• 1.800.500.1119
  • Statewide domestic violence hotline provided for callers experiencing domestic violence. This crisis line has trained advocate available 24-hours a day to provide crisis counseling, safety planning, resources, and connection to legal assistance and local domestic violence centers.

Domestic Violence Centers with Shelter

• https://www.myflfamilies.com/service-programs/domestic-violence/map.shtml
  • Provide callers with direct access to local certified domestic violence centers with shelter in their area. This is a list of the 41 certified domestic violence centers by county with 24-hour crisis lines and supportive services, including housing and economic empowerment.