The Housing Assistance Commitment Voucher application portal is currently CLOSED.
ERAP Program Overview
The Horry County Emergency Rental Assistance program is designed to assist Horry County residents directly or indirectly impacted by and/or during COVID-19 with rental and utility assistance. Various forms of documentation are required by this program to determine eligibility, and if eligible, to determine the amount of financial assistance available per applicant. If you have questions regarding this application or need assistance, please call the Eastern Carolina Housing Organization ERAP line at 843-492-2600.
NOTE: Much of the correspondence for this program is via EMAIL, so please check your Spam email folder if you have not received any emails from [email protected]. If you do not have an email address you may set up a free account by visiting Outlook.com, Gmail.com, Yahoo.com, or your Internet Service Provider. This email address will only be used for purposes of Horry County Emergency Rental Assistance Program communication and will not be added to any marketing lists or other systems.
ERAP Housing Assistance Commitments
The Housing Assistance Commitment (HAC) letter option is for eligible households that do not have a current lease. Examples of those we are serving by this practice include:
- Eligible households who are currently unhoused/homeless
- Eligible households being evicted without the option of a financial remedy
- Eligible households with an expiring lease
- Eligible households with “month-to-month” agreements
- Eligible individuals escaping domestic violence and seeking new housing
- Eligible households who are staying in hotels/motels
Eligible households in any of the above situations may be offered a Housing Assistance Commitment letter to show potential landlords as evidence of eligibility for one-time financial assistance. The letter is addressed to the applicant and clearly states that the applicant is approved for financial assistance for security deposits and up to three months of rent in a +35% fair market rent unit (bedrooms based on household size). It also includes an email address and a dedicated phone number for landlords to learn more about the program.
It is the applicant’s responsibility to find and secure a suitable unit within sixty (60) days from the Issue Date of the Housing Assistance Commitment letter. To be eligible for ERAP financial assistance, the prospective landlord must be willing to accept funds from our program and provide a signed 6-month (minimum) lease in the applicant’s name. In the event of lease violations, it is assumed that the landlord will follow normal eviction protocol and ERAP/ECHO will not be responsible for remaining balance of the lease.
This program offers temporary financial assistance only and does not offer any other services (for example, housing search assistance or case management).
Eligibility Criteria for HAC Applicants:
- Must be a Horry County resident, with proof of residency and;
- One or more adults in the household must have qualified for unemployment benefits or has experienced a reduction in household income, incurred significant costs, or experienced other financial hardship due directly or indirectly because of and/or during the coronavirus outbreak and;
- One or more adults in the household must be able to demonstrate a risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability such as a past due rent or utility notice, pay rent or quit notice, court issued eviction notice, fleeing domestic violence, or documented inability to pay prospective rent and;
- Before receiving financial assistance, must be able to provide a fully executed 6-month (minimum) rental lease in the Applicant’s name and;
- Household income must fall at or below these brackets:
| Household Size | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| Income Limit | $38,300.00 | $43,750.00 | $49,200.00 | $54,650.00 | $59,050.00 | $63,400.00 | $67,800.00 | $72,150.00 |
- Must read and agree to full Terms & Conditions that are outlined prior to submission of the application.
Documentation Notice
- This application may be completed without uploading complete documentation at this time.
- Uploading any immediately available documentation will expedite processing.
- Uploaded documentation should include scans or clear photographs. Please include all complete pages of any documentation upload.
- All documentation must be collected before any financial assistance can be provided.
- If you are unsure of the ability to get any of the required documentation you are still encouraged to apply and our Housing Assistance Processors will work with you to get acceptable documentation.