Apply for STAY DC now, here.

In April, Mayor Bowser launched Stronger Together by Assisting You (STAY DC), a $352 million rent assistance program that provides rental aid and utility payment grants to at-risk District residents across all eight wards.

The assistance can cover up to 12 months of past-due payments starting in April 2020, and/or up to three months at a time for future payments, totaling up to 18 months. Renters will be considered eligible if there is a risk of missed payments, and there is a maximum 2020 household income of $82,300 for a family of four.

The STAY DC portal is a user-friendly one-stop shop for city renters who are struggling with housing expenses and need money for rent and utilities. STAY DC is designed to exhaust the federal government’s COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance funding available through the CARES Act. 

There are several different ways to connect with STAY DC:

• Access the user-friendly STAY DC portal online here.
• Call the help hotline at 833-478-2932 (833-4-STAYDC).
• Drop off a paper application at six different locations throughout the District.

Housing and utility providers play a critical role with STAY DC by helping connect renters and customers in need with the assistance available through the program. For more information on how to prepare tenants to apply, visit the STAY DC website here.