Rental and Utility Assistance Now Available

Dear Neighbor,

Rental and utility assistance is now available again in Rhode Island.

The new Rent Relief RI (RRR) program has opened and is now accepting applications. This program is the successor to the Safe Harbor program and has taken on the responsibility of processing unfinished Safe Harbor applications. Although RRR will be prioritizing and processing unfinished Safe Harbor applications, people who previously applied for Safe Harbor must now apply for RRR in order to have their previous Safe Harbor application completed.

You can apply to the new rental and utility assistance program by following this link. https://www.rihousing.com/rentreliefri/

Even if you had previously applied to Safe Harbor for rental assistance, you must still submit a new application to RRR in order to qualify for rental assistance.

To be approved, you will need to provide the following documentation:

1. Proof of your income for the last 60 days.
   1. If you do not have documentation to show your income for the last 60 days, then you can also choose to establish your income by “attestation” which is a way to swear that you are being truthful, despite your inability to provide documentation. Be aware, you may be required to provide the missing documentation later, if asked by a RRR representative.
   2.  If there is no income coming into the household, then select the “no income” option, and e-sign the required certification of truthfulness.
2. Proof of Residency
   1. You must show proof that you live at the apartment or house you are seeking rental assistance for, by providing bank statements, utility bills, or a copy of your driver’s license.
   2. If you need financial help to move to a new home and are applying for first month rent and security deposit assistance, you must provide a lease or proof of tenancy at the new rental unit. If you are not signing a lease, provide a written statement from your new landlord that they are renting to you.
3. Proof of Court Involvement – If this applies to your situation
   1. If you have been served with an eviction, then also include either the eviction notice, summons, or some other communication from the landlord regarding the eviction.
4. Proof of Utility Bills 
   1. If you are also applying for utility assistance, then you will need copies of your utility bills with the amounts owed and the customer account numbers.

In addition to the above documents, you should also have your landlord’s name and contact information available to include in your application.

If you experience any issues in your application, you can contact Rhode Island Housing at (401) 457-1234 or by email at info@rihousing.com.

If you need legal assistance relating to your eviction or the rental assistance application process, you can contact the Rhode Island Center for Justice at (401) 491-1101 or R.I. Legal Services at (401) 274-2652. If you are living in public housing or pay part of your rent through Section 8, you should contact R.I. Legal Services first.