Rental Application Assistance (Ayuda) Offered By Community Action For NY State Emergency Rental Assistance Program

The flyer for assistance with rental relief distributed by Community Action Partnership for Dutchess County in English.

June 1, 2021 was the first day that the Emergency Rental Assistance Program opened in New York State. Money is on the table to help those who meet income thresholds, and within the order of priorities. Getting that money can be confusing, as you wade your way through applications. Community Action Partnership for Dutchess County, with an office on Main Street in Beacon, says they are here to help. Their Beacon office is on 10 Eliza Street, which is in the Rite Aid parking lot behind Antalek and Moore Insurance.

To help you apply: call Community Action Partnership for Dutchess County at 845-452-5104 or email info@dutchesscap.org. You can also visit www.dutchesscap.org and click “Apply for Services.”

How Community Action Helps With The Application:

The flyer for assistance with rental relief distributed by Community Action Partnership For Dutchess County in Spanish.

We asked Samantha Riley, Director of Family Resources for Community Action, to walk us through how Community Action helps with the applicaation process, and what kind of issues people have come up against. Here’s what she told us:

“We are available to help screen for eligibility and to assist with families with applying for the program. This looks different for every person depending on their ability. The application must be completed online by both the tenant and landlord. Some families just need to be talked through the process and can apply on their own, and others can’t do it on their own for various reasons.”

Samantha continued: “Our first priority for assisting families with applying is to assist those who do not have internet access at home. For those families, if they just need access to a computer we have a computer at each of our locations for the public to use. If families need help filling out the application, we can assist them 1:1 either in person or over the phone; preferably by appointment.

“The required Documents need to be uploaded to the online application. We mostly right now are getting calls about families needing help with that process, which we can help with.”

To help you apply: call Community Action Partnership for Dutchess County at 845-452-5104 or email info@dutchesscap.org. You can also visit www.dutchesscap.org and click “Apply for Services.”

About New York State Emergency Renal Assistance Program (ERAP)

The New York State Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) will provide significant economic relief to help low and moderate-income households at risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability by providing rental arrears, temporary rental assistance, and utility arrears assistance.

Eligibility

New York residents are eligible for ERAP if they meet all of the following criteria:

• Household gross income is at or below 80 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI). These income limits differ by county and household size. A household may qualify based on current income or calendar year 2020 income that is at or below 80 percent AMI.

• On or after March 13, 2020, a member of the household received unemployment benefits or experienced a reduction in income, incurred significant costs, or experienced financial hardship, directly or indirectly, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

• The applicant is obligated to pay rent at their primary residence and has rental arrears (rent overdue) at their current residence for rent owed on or after March 13, 2020.

• The household must be at risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability, which can be demonstrated by having rental arrears owed on or after March 13, 2020.

Benefits

Households approved for ERAP may receive:

• Up to 12 months of rental arrears payments for rents accrued on or after March 13, 2020.

• Up to 3 months of additional rental assistance if the household is expected to spend 30 percent or more of their gross monthly income to pay for rent.

• Up to 12 months of electric or gas utility arrears payments for arrears that have accrued on or after March 13, 2020.

Apply

Program open as of June 1, 2021. Applications are now being accepted. Apply here >

To help you apply: call Community Action Partnership for Dutchess County at 845-452-5104 or email info@dutchesscap.org. You can also visit www.dutchesscap.org and click “Apply for Services.”

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El dinero está aquí para ayudar a aquellos que están económicamente aplastados por la pandemia, pero solicitarlo puede ser un trabajo de tiempo completo, además de ser difícil de entender. ¡La Asociación de Acción Comunitaria del Condado de Dutchess tiene un programa para eso! Samantha Riley de Community Action se ha acercado al Blog de A Little Beacon con la esperanza de hacer correr la voz de que están aquí para ayudar. Así es como funciona: El Programa de asistencia de emergencia para el alquiler del estado de Nueva York (ERAP) proporcionará un alivio económico significativo para ayudar a los hogares de ingresos bajos y moderados en riesgo de quedarse sin hogar o inestabilidad de la vivienda al proporcionar asistencia para el alquiler atrasado, asistencia temporal para el alquiler y asistencia para el pago de servicios públicos.

Elegibilidad

Los residentes de Nueva York son elegibles para ERAP si cumplen con todos los siguientes criterios:

• El ingreso bruto del hogar es igual o inferior al 80 por ciento del ingreso medio del área (AMI). Estos límites de ingresos difieren según el condado y el tamaño del hogar. Un hogar puede calificar según los ingresos actuales o los ingresos del año calendario 2020 que sean iguales o inferiores al 80 por ciento del AMI.

• A partir del 13 de marzo de 2020, un miembro del hogar recibió beneficios por desempleo o experimentó una reducción en sus ingresos, incurrió en costos significativos o experimentó dificultades financieras, directa o indirectamente, debido a la pandemia de COVID-19.

• El solicitante está obligado a pagar el alquiler en su residencia principal y tiene atrasos en el alquiler (alquiler vencido) en su residencia actual por el alquiler adeudado a partir del 13 de marzo de 2020.

• El hogar debe estar en riesgo de experimentar falta de vivienda o inestabilidad de la vivienda, lo que puede demostrarse si se adeudan pagos de alquiler a partir del 13 de marzo de 2020.

Beneficios

Los hogares aprobados para ERAP pueden recibir:

• Hasta 12 meses de pagos atrasados ​​de alquiler para alquileres acumulados a partir del 13 de marzo de 2020.

• Hasta 3 meses de asistencia adicional para el alquiler si se espera que el hogar gaste el 30 por ciento o más de sus ingresos brutos mensuales para pagar el alquiler.

• Hasta 12 meses de pagos atrasados ​​de servicios públicos de electricidad o gas por atrasos que se hayan acumulado a partir del 13 de marzo de 2020.

Solicitar

Programa abierto a partir del 1 de junio de 2021. Ahora se aceptan solicitudes. Aplicar aquí>

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Dutchess Community Action Partnership is open Monday - Friday from 8:30 am - 4:30 pm. Contact them by phone: 844-NY1RENT (844-691-7368)
For the hearing impaired, TTY phone number: 1-833-843-8829.

Shuttered Venues Closer To Applying For Money From Grant Launching April 8, 2021

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has opened an intake form for the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) application portal to process applications for the much-anticipated critical economic relief program that launches on Thursday, April 8, 2021.

Venues must have been in operation by February 2020, and include the following:

• Live venue operators or promoters

• Theatrical producers

• Live performing arts organization operators

• Relevant museum operators, zoos and aquariums who meet specific criteria

• Motion picture theater operators

• Talent representatives

• Each business entity owned by an eligible entity that also meets the eligibility requirements

“The SBA’s new Administrator, Isabella Casillas Guzman, said about the grant “The SBA knows these venues are critical to America's economy and understands how hard they've been impacted, as they were among the first to shutter. This vital economic aid will provide a much-needed lifeline for live venues, museums, movie theatres and many more.”

The SVOG program was established by the Economic Aid to Hard Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits and Venues Act, which appropriated $15 billion for it. The American Rescue Plan Act, signed into law by President Joe Biden on March 11, 2021, appropriated an additional $1.25 billion, bringing the program funding to a total of $16.25 billion, with more than $16 billion allocated for grants.

Applying for both SVOG and PPP Program

To ensure eligible venues do not miss a window to receive assistance through the Paycheck Protection Program, the American Rescue Plan Act also amended the SVOG program so entities that apply for a PPP loan after Dec. 27, 2020, can also apply for an SVOG, with the eligible entity’s SVOG to be reduced by the PPP loan amount. The PPP loan applications have been updated to reflect this. SBA is currently offering PPP loans until March 31, 2021.

To prepare in advance of the SVOG application portal opening on April 8, potential applicants should get registered in the federal government’s System for Award Management (SAM.gov), as this is required for an entity to receive an SVOG, and reference the preliminary application checklist and eligibility requirements.

Information Webinar March 30th

The SBA will be holding a SVOG Application Information Webinar on Tuesday, March 30th. You can register for this free event by clicking this link.

Debt Collectors Cannot Seize Stimulus Checks In New York - Attorney General Letitia James Announced

The CARES ACT - the $2 trillion dollar stimulus package from the federal government to help Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic - has protections written in to safeguard the money being distributed. However, as this Forbes article points out, the protections against debt collection are at the federal level only. States have been left to make their own rules.

On Saturday (4/18/2020), New York Attorney General Letitia James issued a “hands off” debt collection policy against any debt collector, to make sure money stays in the hands of New Yorkers, as first reported by Gothamist. She specified that this protection does not apply to “any actions to collect past-due child support.”

In her press release, Attorney General Letitia James said: “As the coronavirus crisis continues to wreak havoc on our society, I will do everything in my power to protect the wallets of every New Yorker. Today, we are taking concrete action to ensure debt collectors keep their hands off New Yorkers’ stimulus payments. This official guidance makes clear that banks and debt collectors cannot freeze or seize stimulus funds that are on their way to New York families, and any institution that violates this guidance will face swift legal action from my office.”

A seemingly crowd-sourced or edited list of what other states are doing regarding the stimulus checks can be found here, as reported by Gothamist.

COVID-19 Business Loans Tapped Out For Now - PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) and EIDL

Businesses can no longer apply for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) - as of today (Thursday, April 16, 2020). The appropriated funds have been exhausted, according to the SBA: “Notice: Lapse in Appropriations. The SBA is currently unable to accept new applications for the Paycheck Protection Program based on available appropriations funding.”

The PPP loan was created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic situation, made available through the Small Business Association (SBA) and was possibly one of the most considered and researched loans that businesses, nonprofits and independent contractors would research in a very small amount of time. From the moment it was announced as an option, stipulations changed with this loan that was “designed to provide a direct incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on the payroll.”

When seeking local clarification from Dutchess County, A Little Beacon Blog was put in touch with Arnaldo Sehwerert, Ph D., Regional Director of the the Mid-Hudson Small Business Development Center. He confirmed: “The PPP is designed mainly to keep existing workers in the payroll.”

How Much Money Were We Talking?

Money was appropriated through the first round of the CARES ACT, where the Department of the Treasury was supporting the SBA in this loan. “Up to $349 billion was dedicated toward job retention and certain other expenses,” according to the Treasury’s website.

Originally, the loan came with a low interest rate to pay back, which bristled some business owners, but that changed when new requirements were introduced. According to the SBA website and the U.S. Treasury website, the PPP loan could be wiped clean with no interest paid: “SBA will forgive loans if all employees are kept on the payroll for 8 weeks and the money is used for payroll, rent, mortgage interest, or utilities.” If the loan was not used to cover these expenses, then the low interest rate would apply, and repayment would be required.

Entities who were eligible included small businesses and eligible nonprofit organizations, veterans organizations, and tribal businesses described in the Small Business Act, as well as individuals who are self-employed or are independent contractors; they’re eligible if they also meet program size standards.

The payroll, however, could only pay people who were on the company’s payroll, and not contract workers. The contract workers would be on their own to apply for their own PPP loan. For example: for a graphic design firm who regularly paid contract workers who submit 1099s for taxes, these contract workers would not be protected under the PPP with the employing company, and would need to apply for their own PPP loan.

If the business owner herself was on payroll as the only employee, she would be eligible under the terms of the loan, and the loan could be forgiven when paid out. But if client work dried up and there was nothing to pay contract workers, the way the PPP loan as written could not help her 1099 contract team, unless they applied for and were approved for their own loans.

Many Pandemic-Based Financial Options - PPP, EIDL, UI, FPUC

The amount of financial options, and homework to understand the options, as well as the severely short timeline, has been extremely overwhelming for businesses. The Dutchess County Business Notification Network has been extremely helpful with highlighting daily changes.

UPDATE [4/17/2020]: Per a reader’s comments below, we have made the following note about the EIDL:
The Economic Injury Disaster Loan started with a requirement that if one was granted it, they could not apply for the PPP loan, but that changed, and businesses could apply for both. Additionally, part of the loan became an “advance,” whereas the first $10,000 granted to the business did not need to be repaid. See the SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan Emergency Advance page here.

Independent contractors were scrambling on what to do, because they were also permitted to collect unemployment insurance, something which is not normally allowed, which also could include an additional weekly payment of $600 of Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC). New York’s website to file for unemployment insurance deeply crashed, was rebuilt by Google, and is currently accepting applications. However, Melissa De Rossa (secretary to Governor Cuomo) today (Thursday 4/16/2020) stated during the Governor’s briefing, that there is a delay for applicants who are independent contractors, as they are a special circumstance and not normally accepted to collect unemployment insurance.

As for employees who had been collecting both unemployment insurance and Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (assuming they got through the website and were approved), the weekly benefit could exceed what their previous paycheck may have been at a local business. Would the employee want to decide to stay with unemployment insurance? That could possibly cause problems for the business owner who needs to keep all staff on payroll in order to meet the terms of the PPP loan to not pay it back. Myriam Bouchard, MBA, a Certified Business Advisor with Mid-Hudson Small Business Development Center, clarified the timing of the usage of the loan: “The PPP is to be used from the moment the closing documents are signed. The employee cannot BOTH receive unemployment insurance and payroll from their employer.”

Local Impact Of The PPP Loan

The PPP loan was mandated to be processed through banks both small and large. This added a delay to the applications as banks of every size had to figure out how to process applications and avoid fraud. Banks opened to accept the PPP loan on different days. Local banks tended to open sooner than larger banks, since local banks, it was presumed, knew their customers better.

“As for PPP, we have not been approved and the well is dry until Congress can agree on how to forward. I’m really not sure what moving forward looks like for us. ”

— Joe Robitaille, Owner of Homespun

Homespun’s new owner Joe Robitaille had started applying for the EIDL and PPP loan from the very beginning, and has still not received an approval. “EIDL loan has not come through, was a far cry from what was initially offered, where they were saying they would be transferring $10,000 within three business days of application. That was three weeks ago that we applied. As for PPP, we have not been approved and the well is dry until Congress can agree on how to move forward. I’m really not sure what moving forward looks like for us. Feels like finding out the cavalry just isn’t coming after all. If they stall this too long, Beacon and lots of other towns are going to lose a lot of small businesses. Potbelly and Ruth’s Chris have secured $10 million and $20 million in PPP loan, respectively.”

A Little Beacon Blog happens to know that Homespun just got awarded with their liquor license, and with Joe’s big plans for wine, being that he was a sommelier, we are really hoping he can ride this out.

Accountants also saw a surge of activity from their clients, not only from those wanting to file their taxes by the original April 15 deadline, but from businesses who needed their business taxes filed in order to apply for the pandemic loans. “This is one of the busiest times in my life,” said local accountant Arthur DeDominicis to A Little Beacon Blog. “Everyone’s wanting their taxes filed, but they are also calling in with questions as they fill out the PPP application and banks ask them clarification questions.”

John Mitchell of Number Keepers, an accountant in South Carolina, was fielding questions from clients the day the local banks opened to applications on April 3, 2020: “Some banks are ready, some banks say later today, some banks are just taking general applications and stacking them. Some banks are not communicating anything online. Some banks, like Bank of America, are only taking applications from their business clients and you have to have account logins to even apply.”

Banks Are Standing By

Will the loan application process re-open? Perhaps.

Chase’s letter to business customers reads:

“Message from Jennifer Roberts, CEO of Chase Business Banking:

”As predicted, the SBA's Paycheck Protection Program was hugely popular. In fact, we have just learned the SBA has approved loans that will exhaust all the funding available for the initial round. By tomorrow (Friday, April 17, 2020) morning we will have notified all of our customers who received funding in the first round, and know many of you are disappointed, as are many other business owners around the country.

”We know Congress is currently considering another round of funds soon. In the interim, we will continue to work our existing queue of applications so we can be ready. We will continue to update you here.

”If you are among the many customers who have applied, we'll call you if we have questions and email you when we make a decision once additional funding is available.”

Another day begins tomorrow.

We shall see.

The Stimulus Check: How It Works And Why Your Amount May Be Lower

The Economic Impact Payment, otherwise known as a stimulus payment or check, began arriving this week, with direct deposits showing as available today, April 15, 2020, the usual annual deadline for submitting taxes (The filing deadline has since been autoextended to July 15, 2020. You don’t need to do anything to get the extension, but you can still file your 2019 taxes. This is all spelled out on the IRS website.)

There are a few ways this is working. Not everyone’s amount will be the same; some who are “high-earners” will receive less, and those who haven’t filed taxes in the last two years will have a chance to file via special website in order to receive the funds.

A Little Beacon Blog is not a tax professional, so please check with your own tax professional about any decisions you make or questions you have.

Payments Are Automatic - If You Have Filed Taxes Within 2 Years And Have Direct Deposit

If you have filed taxes for 2018 or 2019, and have set up direct deposit with the IRS, then the money will hit your account connected to that Direct Deposit.

If you did not file taxes in the last two years - and you aren’t part of groups who don’t need to file taxes (explained below) - then you’ll need to file your 2019 taxes. Learn about that here.

Payments Are Paper Check

If you do not have direct deposit already set up, a paper check is being mailed. If you moved since the last time you filed, you can change your mailing address here.

People Who Don’t File Taxes Can Apply

If you did not file a 2018 or 2019 federal income tax return because your gross income was under $12,200 ($24,400 for married couples), or had no income at all, or you weren’t required to file a 2018 or 2019 federal income tax return for other reasons, you can still apply to receive a stimulus payment (click here). But, if you receive Social Security retirement, disability (SSDI), or survivor benefits, or Railroad Retirement and Survivor Benefits, you don’t need to apply, as your payment information is already hooked up, and the payment will come.

However, if you have qualifying children under 17 who you claim as a dependent, and you are part of those special groups already receiving benefits, then you do need to apply here to get the $500 child credit.

How Much Will The Stimulus Check Be?

Now we are into the nitty-gritty. The straightforward answer is $1,200 for individuals who file single, and $2,400 for couples who file jointly. But - income limits offset this, reducing the amount you will receive if you are a “high-earner.” There is also an additional $500/child credit if you claim qualifying children under 17 years old.

You should read all about the amounts of the stimulus check here, but here are some highlights from the IRS website:

$1,200* for individuals:

• Eligible individuals with adjusted gross income of up to $75,000 for single filers

• $112,500 for head of household filers

• $150,000 for married filing jointly

$2,400* married filing jointly.

*$500 paid in addition per qualifying child under 17 years old (this does not seem to be impacted by “high-earner” status).

“High-Earners”

For filers with income above those amounts, the payment amount is reduced by $5 for each $100 above the $75,000/$112,500/$150,000 thresholds. Single filers with income exceeding $99,000, $136,500 for head of household filers and $198,000 for joint filers with no children, are not eligible and will not receive payments.

Some Groups Of People Not Eligible For Stimulus Payment

People who are themselves dependents (like children or elder adults), people who don’t have Social Security Numbers, or are nonresident aliens are not eligible. Read about that here.

Receipt Of Payment

The IRS will be sending a letter 15 days after making payment, showing how your payment was calculated. Read about that here.

Should You File Your 2019 Close To The Original April 15 Deadline (aka Soonish)?

Some accountants believe you should. For the backlog of filings, if you hire an accountant to do this for you, it is probably a good idea to get in line now. According to the IRS, who continues to process electronic tax returns: “As of April 3, the IRS received over 97.4 million tax returns and issued over $213 billion in refunds.”

Especially in light of social distancing at work, even for the IRS, the IRS is urging online filing and writes about it here.

FINANCE: Debt Collection Removed From "Essential Business" List - Now Non-Essential

The New York State “essentials” vs “non-essentials” list is updated on an ongoing basis. As of yesterday (April 8, 2020), an edit was made to the Financial Services section of the Essential Businesses list. Debt Collection is no longer considered an essential business.

Assemblyperson Jonathan Jacobson’s office today reached out to A Little Beacon Blog about this update, stating: “New York State has issued an updated list of what is and what isn’t considered essential services and explicitly bans debt collection.” Assemblyperson Jacobson’s office gets daily updates from Governor Andrew Cuomo’s office, with an overview of changes.

Here is the change to the Essential Businesses section:

7. Financial Institutions including

banks or lending institution
insurance
payroll
accounting
services related to financial markets, except debt collection

As of April 9, 2020, this definition is included as guidance for essential vs non-essential businesses on the New York State Coronavirus website: “With respect to business or entities that operate or provide both essential and non-essential services, supplies or support, only those lines and/or business operations that are necessary to support the essential services, supplies, or support are exempt from the workforce reduction restrictions.”