Lost my job and 3 months behind on rent in South Amboy

(Request from Stephen in South Amboy, New Jersey) I am interested in applying for a rental grant, what agency do I need to contact? Please advise.

I am 61 and my wife is 58. I worked for over 45 years only to lose my most recent job last April, 2013 due to a car accident. I was a delivery driver. Unemployment benefits ended in December with no extensions. No one will hire me for anything. I might be able to deliver newspapers starting in October and will probably have to take early social security. My wife works at Sears for minimum wage. My rent is $814 a month and I am now behind 3 months. All savings is gone. The charities in our area will not have funding until October, maybe. We are terrified of an eviction notice coming any day now. Please where can we get help until I can start collecting my social security? You can e-mail your response. thank you and thanks for providing this service.

Dear Stephen,

Thank you for supplying so much information about your situation. Your situation is more common than you might think. It is not fair that you are subject to age discrimination but it is an unfortunate reality.

You will definitely need to start with some case management. The first step is a budget analysis. From there, your case manager will evaluate your income needs and help you determine what changes will need to be made towards a feasible action plan. There may be multiple options for achieving your goals.

If you are able to take on a new job next month, then it is possible that a rental assistance grant could be implemented. Getting three months of rent payments exceeds the threshold of benefits available to a client by most agencies. Most will only approve a maximum of two months rent towards arrears.

Still, a combination of two months rent paid as a grant plus a repayment arrangement with your landlord that begins once you start a new job in October could be a possibility. You may even receive food and money towards utilities as a part of a comprehensive aid package.

We fielded a request from another South Amboy tenant earlier in the year and provided some referrals for that situation. The circumstances are different but I think you will find that the agencies we referred him to could be a good first start.

Keep in mind that you would need a combination of a rental assistance grant, other aid and a workaround agreement for a portion of the rental arrears. Your case manager will confirm the possibilities and discuss the challenges faced. Only they can tell you for sure what options will be allowed based on an analysis of your household income and budget.

If it turns out that you are too far delinquent on your rent, then alternative arrangements can be made. This is often the case if the landlord is unable to agree with arrangements that your case manager can negotiate for you. If a move is necessary, then they can help you manage the situation and find temporary accommodations. These transitional housing programs help you manage your income needs and plan for a move to a permanent rental situation. It will be easier to qualify for Senior housing programs now that you are getting older. Some are open at age 60 and some 62; your case manager can help you identify the possibilities.

We hope that the referrals provided in the other post can be useful for you. Please feel free to comment on any additional successes or failures that you have.