If tenants have had difficulty making rent payments as a result of the COVID-19 emergency, the Small Landlord Emergency Grant (SLEG) Program is reopening and expanding to reimburse owners of three- to 30-unit rental properties for lost rent revenue due to COVID-19 between April and July 2020, as long as they agree to forgive outstanding back rent and late fees that their tenant accrued during this time.
The program reopened Sept. 28 and will run through 4 p.m. Oct. 13.
To be eligible for the second round of the SLEG Program:
1. Applicants must own a residential property in New Jersey with three to 30 rental units;
2. Applicants must be registered with the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs’ (DCA) Bureau of Housing Inspection;
3. The property must not be a seasonal or vacation rental property;
4. The property must have at least one non-vacant rental unit impacted by COVID-19 between April and July 2020;
5. The property must have low- to moderate-income rent levels.
All completed eligible applications will be randomly sorted by computer to give each applicant an equal chance of being funded. Grant funding will be allocated on a case-by-case basis, based on the number of COVID-impacted units and the amount of missed rent. A list of all successful landlord applicants will be posted to the NJHMFA website, and letters will be sent to all tenants of awarded landlords.
There is a range of tools available on NJHMFA’s website to assist property owners in preparing their applications. Applicants can contact languagehelp@njhmfa.gov to receive a call within one business day from a representative who can communicate with them in their primary language.
Potential applicants with specific questions can call NJHMFA’s toll-free hotline at 866-280-9756 or email sleg@njhmfa.gov.
