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Are You Being Evicted? Select Your County for Lawyers and Other Housing Help

The State of Michigan is operating a COVID Emergency Rental Assistance (CERA) program to help tenants stay in their homes by getting legal and financial assistance to pay for some or all of the back rent they owed. The CERA application portal is now closed. Some Housing Assessment and Resource Agencies (HARAs) have some remaining funds and will be inviting eligible tenants to apply for CERA assistance. Tenants facing eviction should still contact their local Housing Assessment and Resource Agencies (HARAs) for help finding other rental assistance as well as other housing assistance.

CERA applications that were submitted before June 30, 2022 at 9:00 p.m. will continue to be reviewed and processed until all program funds are used. It is likely that more applications will be received than will be able to be funded, so a submitted application does not guarantee that there will be funds available. 

What should you do next? 

  • If you are behind on your rent, you should contact to your local HARA. You can find contact information for your HARA below by choosing your county. 

  • If you have been served with a Complaint for Eviction, you should contact your local HARA and talk to legal aid. Find the contact information for your local legal aid organization and your local HARA below by choosing your county. 

  • If you are still waiting for your CERA application to be processed, but the judge has entered an eviction judgment against you or your landlord has a Writ or Order of Eviction, you can use the Do-It-Yourself Motion for Temporary Relief from Judgment tool to ask the judge to pause your case for your CERA application to be processed.

  • If you applied for CERA and you have an eviction judgment against you, it is important to contact your HARA immediately and let them know of your situation. You should also contact legal aid so they can help quickly in case you get a Writ or Order of Eviction. Find the contact information for your HARA and your local legal aid organization below by choosing your county.

  • If you are given a Writ or Order of Eviction, contact legal aid immediately. Find the contact information for your local legal aid organization below by choosing your county.

 

To learn more about CERA, read the COVID Emergency Rental Assistance Program (CERA) article.

To learn more about how COVID is impacting eviction in other ways, visit the Eviction and Other Housing Issues and COVID-19 toolkit.

CERA currently operates through a network of nonprofit homeless service providers, known as Housing Assessment and Resource Agencies (HARAs). The HARAs review and make decisions on applications for financial assistance. Anyone facing eviction during COVID has been encouraged to apply to their local HARA for help paying back rent.

Legal aid programs around the state have been providing increased legal assistance to tenants facing eviction. You can call them or speak to them at court if you need legal advice or representation.