DC Rental Assistance Programs: ERAP, DC Flex, and Section 8

DC rental assistance programs fall into two groups: emergency help for a one-time crisis, and longer-term subsidies for ongoing housing instability. The Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) is the District’s main safety net, covering up to five months of back rent for households earning at or below 40 percent of the Area Median Income. For families whose problems won’t be solved by a single payment, the District also runs the Homeless Prevention Program, the DC Flex rent subsidy, and voucher programs through the DC Housing Authority.

Emergency Rental Assistance Program

ERAP is governed by D.C. Code § 4-753.08 and has three core requirements. You must live in the District when you apply, face a housing emergency you can’t resolve with other resources, and have household net income no higher than 40 percent of the Area Median Income for your household size.¹

For 2026, HUD set the DC-area median family income at $163,900 for a household of four.² Forty percent of that is roughly $65,560, which is the ceiling for a four-person household. Smaller households have proportionally lower limits. One detail trips people up: ERAP measures income over the 30 days immediately before you apply, not your annual salary.¹

The emergency piece usually means being at least 30 days behind on rent. An active eviction or a court summons also qualifies.¹ If your situation makes documentation difficult, the statute lets you submit a sworn declaration explaining both the circumstances and why you don’t have paperwork.

What ERAP Pays For

ERAP funds can cover rent arrears, late fees, and court fees from an eviction case.¹ For back rent, the program pays up to five months with a cap of $4,250. Households that include a member with a disability or seven or more children can receive up to $6,000.³

The program can also help with security deposits and first month’s rent, but only in narrow circumstances. Security deposit assistance is capped at $900 and is available only when the landlord won’t waive the deposit and you would otherwise become homeless or lose family unity.¹ First month’s rent assistance follows the same rules and must be paid together with a security deposit for move-in.

Payments always go to your landlord, never to you. You can receive ERAP once in any 12-month period.⁴ If you got help in March 2026, you aren’t eligible again until March 2027.

Documents You’ll Need

Pulling your paperwork together before you apply makes the appointment go faster. You’ll need:

Proof of DC residency, such as a current lease or a letter from your landlord.
Government-issued photo ID for every adult in the household.⁴
Income verification covering the last 30 days: pay stubs or benefit letters for SSI, SSDI, unemployment, TANF, child support, or retirement. If you have no income, you’ll sign a Zero Income Statement.
Bank statements from the last 30 days for all accounts, plus any SNAP documentation.
Proof of your emergency, which varies: a termination letter for job loss, medical records for a health crisis, or an eviction notice if you’re being displaced. The document needs to connect the emergency to your inability to pay rent.

The statute says no documentation beyond what’s listed in § 4-753.08 can be required of you.¹ If you’re seeking help with a security deposit or first month’s rent instead of back rent, bring proof of the rental agreement for the new unit and documentation showing why you have to move.

How to Apply

ERAP now runs on appointments rather than walk-ins or an open portal. Start at the DHS Rental Assistance Portal (erap.dhs.dc.gov), schedule a time, and upload your documents. Your application is processed during the appointment itself.

Community-based organizations partnered with DHS can walk you through the application if you’d rather not do it online. During review, DHS contacts your landlord to confirm the balance owed and get a tax ID so payment can be issued. A current rent ledger from your landlord, showing the exact balance and any partial payments, helps the process move.

Will ERAP Affect Your Taxes?

No. The IRS has said emergency rental assistance paid to an eligible household, or paid on their behalf to a landlord, is not includible in the household’s gross income. You don’t report the payments on your federal return. Landlords, on the other hand, do include those payments in gross income, which is why DHS collects the landlord’s tax ID during the application.⁵

Longer-Term Rental Help in DC

ERAP is built for one-time crises. If your situation is ongoing, three other programs may fit better.

Homeless Prevention Program

The Homeless Prevention Program (HPP) is for families at risk of losing housing before a full crisis. Authorized by D.C. Code § 4-771.01, it uses an evidence-based assessment to identify the families most likely to become homeless and then provides short- and long-term support.⁶ Services include tenant-landlord mediation, budgeting and financial literacy classes, job training referrals, help applying for SNAP and Medicaid, and case management with mental health referrals.⁷ HPP looks beyond a missed payment and tries to address what’s causing the instability.

DC Flex Rent Subsidy

DC Flex is the District’s shallow rent subsidy, running up to five years. It provides $7,200 a year for individuals and $8,400 a year for families, and you decide how much to draw each month based on what you actually need.⁷ One month you might pull $200; a tighter month, $800.

Eligibility requires earning 40 percent of AMI or below and currently experiencing housing instability. To stay in the program, you have to pay rent on time with proof, attend two financial coaching sessions and one financial management session per year, recertify annually, and find employment during the first year. Questions go to dcflex.program@dc.gov.

Local Rent Supplement Program and Section 8

The Local Rent Supplement Program (LRSP) is a locally funded voucher program run by the DC Housing Authority for residents at 30 percent of AMI or below. Like a federal Housing Choice Voucher, you pay roughly 30 percent of your household’s gross income toward rent and utilities, and DCHA pays the rest directly to the property owner.⁸ Some LRSP vouchers come with a DHS-assigned social worker.

LRSP vouchers come in tenant-based, project-based, and sponsor-based forms. Some require a DHS referral, and waitlists are common. The federal Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8) runs through DCHA alongside LRSP with its own waitlist; placement depends on when you applied and whether you have a selection preference such as veteran or disability status.

1
D.C. Law Library. D.C. Code 4-753.08 – Emergency Rental Assistance
2
Department of Housing and Community Development. 2026 Inclusionary Zoning Maximum Income, Rent and Purchase Price Schedule
3
Department of Human Services. Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP)
4
DC DHS Rental Assistance Portal. ERAP: Frequently Asked Questions
5
Internal Revenue Service. Emergency Rental Assistance Frequently Asked Questions
6
D.C. Law Library. D.C. Code 4-771.01 – Homeless Prevention Program
7
Department of Human Services. Homelessness Prevention and Diversion
8
District of Columbia Housing Authority. Voucher FAQs