New York State has been ordered to reopen its Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) as a direct result of a class action lawsuit brought by The Legal Aid Society, as reported by the Associated Press.

The Supreme Court, New York County, ordered the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance to resume accepting applications which will afford the new applicants a stay of any eviction proceedings against them.

“It is now abundantly clear that the Hochul Administration violated the law when it prematurely closed the ERAP portal, denying thousands of families access to funds and safe harbor from eviction,” said Ed Josephson, Supervising Attorney in the Civil Law Reform Unit at The Legal Aid Society.

“We laud this decision, which acknowledges the Legislature’s clearly expressed intent to protect families from being evicted while they are waiting for federal funds to be fully distributed,” he continued. “Legal Aid will closely monitor the situation over the coming days and we urge all New Yorkers to immediately apply once the portal reopens to protect against eviction.”

The court has ordered the portal must be reopened within three business days or by Tuesday, January 11, 2022 at the latest.

For more information on applying for ERAP click here.