Latest news with #ERAP
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
DC Council advances changes to Emergency Rental Assistance Program
WASHINGTON () — The D.C. Council advanced amendments to the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) Tuesday, which would allow landlords to more easily evict tenants who are behind on their rent. ERAP is meant to help tenants making less than 40% of the median income secure housing. It comes with certain eligibility requirements, such as proof of residency, income and assets. However, those requirements were suspended during the pandemic, and tenants were allowed to self-certify. Some of the changes to ERAP that advanced Tuesday would limit the time and how much it costs landlords to reschedule evictions, clarify which documents landlords need to comply with ERAP, and make clear that a rent waiver defense must be proven during a legislation that last fall addressed many of the problems that were created due to the COVID-era provisions that led to the rental crisis. DC council passes emergency legislation allowing more closed-door meetings Alex Rossello with the Apartment and Office Building Association says the new amendments reinject some of the same problematic policies into the program. 'It would lead to kind of a similar situation that we had before the emergency legislation was passed in the fall, where people would continue racking up rental debt while their own economic situations aren't changing,' said Rossello. 'So, we believe that's bad for renters and bad for housing providers. And so, that's why we oppose the amendments.' The amendment advanced on a 9-3 vote, with Councilmembers Parker (D- Ward 5), McDuffie (I-At-Large) and Felder (D-Ward 7) voting present. It's unclear when the next vote will take place, but more amendments are possible. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Yahoo
Brundidge police chief, wife committed fraud using federal aid program, prosecutors claim
DOTHAN, Ala (WDHN) — The Brundidge Police Chief, his wife, and one other person are accused of using a federal aid program to commit fraud during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to federal prosecutors, chief Samuel Green, his wife Sharon Green and Schemillia Fenn committed fraud through the Emergency Rental Assistance Program in 2021. The ERAP was set up by the federal government in 2020 for COVID relief. In a federal indictment, prosecutors claimed the three provided false information for 'numerous' ERAP application, tried to collected federal funds for properties that did not exist, altered utility bills, and committed wire fraud several times. The alleged crimes occurred between March and November 2021. During the time of the alleged crimes, the Green's were landlords in Pike County, and all three suspects lived in Troy. Fenn's exact relationship with the Green's is currently unknown. The indictment was unsealed on Thursday, March 13 by a federal judge, and the trio were arrested by U.S. Marshals Thursday morning and taken to Montgomery. The trio are set to appear before a federal magistrate in Montgomery on Thursday. Green was appointed chief in by the Brundidge City Council in 2022. The indictment shows Chief Green is facing 13 federal charges, including one count of commit wire fraud conspiracy, one count of commit money laundering conspiracy, two counts of identity theft, three counts of money laundering, and six counts of wire fraud. Sharon Green is facing nine charges, including one count of identity theft, one count of commit wire fraud conspiracy, three counts of wire fraud, and three counts of money laundering. Fenn is facing one count of wire fraud conspiracy. If convicted, the three could face up to 20 years in federal prison. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
