HOUSING STABILITY

DC ERA serves Douglas County, outside Omaha city limits. This includes the City of Ralston. To check your address, go to: https://apps.dcgis.org/findmycity_erap/ if you are not in our service area, it will say “Omaha: ERA applications for households residing within Omaha city limits are now closed.”

Tenants inside Omaha city limits are served by the Housing Stability Clinic at Together, Inc. 

City of Lincoln and Lancaster County – Applications start with a  visit to Housing Assistance to see which resources best fit your needs.

Nebraska tenants outside of Omaha & Lincoln – ERA assistance is available through the Nebraska Emergency Rental Assistance Program. This includes Sarpy County.

You may also be able to find help here Nebraska Homeless Assistance Program

You may be eligible for DC ERAP if the following apply: 

• You are a renter in Douglas County (outside Omaha city limits)
• You or someone in your household has suffered a financial hardship related to COVID19 and/or since March 2020.
• You have a household income below 50% of the Area Median Income
• You are experiencing a risk of homelessness or housing instability (includes having a past due rent or utility bill) 

Eligibility does not guarantee funding. Applications will be assessed and prioritized based on household needs and funds available. 

If your income is 50%-80% of the Area Median Income and you believe your circumstances constitute a one-time exception, please contact us.

The DC ERAP application is online. For the most efficient, hassle-free handling & processing of your application, you’ll need access to your email account, a smartphone or scanner (for document uploads) and a trusted web browser (Chrome is preferred). 

If you have issues accessing the online portal, please email help@copeinfo.org for permission to email your documents instead of uploading them to the online portal. 

If you are unable to access the online resources, please contact us so we can set a phone or in-person document appointment. 

We use several criteria to prioritize applicants and not every application will be funded.  Priority will be given to first time applicants, those with children, those with very low incomes, and those in danger of eviction. There are limited funds remaining so no grant amount is guaranteed. COPE reserves the right to institute a maximum amount, prioritize applications, or limit the types of assistance based on fund availability.

The initial step is the Assistance Inquiry which can be accessed by checking your address using this map: https://apps.dcgis.org/findmycity_erap/

• • 1. Assistance Inquiry: this form helps us determine which services you are requesting from COPE and what services you are eligible for.  
    2. Applicant Profile: this form first asks questions that verify you are eligible to apply. Then it asks basic information questions including contact information for you and your landlord. Be sure to include landlord contact information. 
    3. Assistance Application: this form collects information about citizenship, COVID-19 impact, income and housing stability. It is also where you will upload the following documents:  
    • Photo ID 
    • Proof of Income 
    • Current lease agreement 
    • Utility bills 

Landlord Forms: 

1. Landlords will complete a one-time comprehensive Landlord Profile.
2. Then the Landlord completes a Tenant Form for each tenant who applies.

Verification: 

Once all forms are completed and documentation is submitted, the application file is sent for verification. This step verifies the tenant qualifies for the program, has submitted the required documentation and verifies the accuracy of the amounts being requested. If no further clarification is necessary, the tenant is approved. 

Approval & Payment: All application files verified and approved are compiled for a report at the end of that approval period. Once balances are confirmed by landlord and utility companies, an approval email will be sent and checks will be requested for processing and mailing.

If an application is determined to be ineligible or is otherwise denied, you will be notified via email from help@copeinfo.org.  

Options for appeal or reapplication will be explained in the email.