NY unemployment recipients - anyone get Emergency Rent Assistance approval yet?

I applied for ERAP back in January and just got approved last week. Took almost 2 months! My landlord confirmed they received the payment yesterday. The system is SUPER backed up right now because of all the applications they're getting in 2025. If your landlord is threatening eviction, remind them that once you've applied for ERAP, they legally can't evict you while your application is pending. Print out your confirmation email as proof you applied.

my brother got it last month. took like 7 weeks from when he applied. they dont tell u anything while ur waiting tho

I'm in the same boat!! Applied 5 weeks ago and NOTHING. Called their number about 20 times and can't get through to a human. My anxiety is through the roof because I'm already 4 months behind on rent. Does anyone know if there's a way to check the status of your application online? The website is so confusing and I can't find anything that lets me see where mine is in the process.

I successfully applied for ERAP while on NY unemployment last year. The key is getting through to an actual representative who can look at your specific case. After weeks of calling and getting nowhere, I discovered Claimyr.com - it helped me connect with an ERAP agent within 20 minutes instead of spending hours on hold. You can see how it works in their demo video: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE Once I got through to someone, they were able to tell me exactly what documents were missing from my application (turned out they needed additional proof of my unemployment benefits). Got everything resolved in one call and received approval 3 weeks later.

DONT WASTE YOUR TIME with this program!!! I applied in December and here we are in March and they STILL havent paid my landlord. Every time I call they say "its processing" but nothing happens. My landlord already started eviction proceedings even though they're not supposed to. The whole system is a JOKE.

Just to add some factual information here: The NY Emergency Rent Assistance Program is currently processing applications from January-February 2025. Their official website states the average processing time is 6-8 weeks. Important things to know: 1. While your application is pending, you have eviction protections 2. ERAP covers up to 12 months of rent arrears and 3 months of prospective rent 3. Payments are made directly to landlords 4. You can check your status at the portal using your application number 5. If you received unemployment during the period you're claiming rent assistance for, you need to upload all UI payment documentation If you need to reach someone, I recommend calling early in the morning (8:00-8:30am) when the phone lines first open.

Has anyone had their landlord refuse to participate in the program? Mine is being difficult and says he doesn't want to "deal with government paperwork" even though I've explained they'll pay him directly. I'm worried this will mess up my application.

btw if ur on unemployment and apply for rent help make sure u report it right cuz my cousin got in trouble for not telling unemployment about his rent assistance

Thanks everyone for all your responses! This has been really helpful. I'm going to try calling early tomorrow morning as suggested, and if that doesn't work, I might try that Claimyr service to get through. It's reassuring to know the typical timeline is 6-8 weeks, even though that's longer than I hoped. I'll make sure to remind my landlord about the eviction protections too. Will update if I get any news!