Rental and Eviction Assistance

Attention: The 36th District Court will resume in-person hearings for landlord-tenant cases as of Monday June 5, 2023.

Court cases scheduled for June 5 or later will NOT be held on Zoom, but will take place at the courthouse in downtown Detroit at 421 Madison St. Detroit, MI 48226. The courthouse opens at 8:00 AM. Arrive early to pass through security and find your assigned courtroom. Cell phones are allowed in the courtroom but many items are prohibited, such as cords/chargers, food, beverages, and weapons. To look up your court hearing details, click here.  

 

General Updates:

  • The COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance (CERA) program has provided financial assistance for thousands of applicants affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in need of rental or utility assistance.
  • CERA is now closed to NEW applications through both the MSHDA portal and Wayne County program. 
  • If you have an existing application that was submitted before the deadline, your application will still be processed. There is no guarantee your application will be approved, but Detroit CERA providers will continue to approve assistance to qualified applicants until funds are exhausted. If you have questions about your existing CERA application, call the Eviction Hotline 866-313-2520.
  • CERA funds cannot be used for rent payments due after September 30, 2022. So applicants are responsible for rent payments due after September 30, 2022 even if they have applied for and received CERA assistance. 
  • Whether you have received CERA funding or not, it's important to remember to pay your rent on time and in full.  Getting CERA rental assistance does not prevent future evictions. 
  • Tenants facing eviction should attend all court hearings with 36th District Court. Court hearings will no longer be held virtually, as of June 5, 2023. 
  • If you do not have a safe place to sleep for the night and need emergency shelter call CAM at 313-305-0311.

 

Eviction Assistance

Detroit tenants facing eviction may receive free legal counsel or advice with their eviction case by attending their in-person court hearings at the 36th District Court.

Tenants facing eviction who have applied for CERA assistance, MUST attend all virtual court hearings to receive the full benefit of CERA assistance.

What’s my CERA Application Status?

  • Check the status of your application by visiting https://ceraapp.michigan.gov/ and clicking “Check App Status”.
  • On the CERA application page, scroll down to “Check App Status” and click the link.
  • You will need to enter your date of birth, last name, and CERA application number. If you are a landlord, you will enter the information  of your tenant.
  • Click “submit.”
  • Status update will be shown for the application. Explanations of the statuses can be found on the right-hand side of the webpage, or below if you are on your phone.
  • Incomplete tenant applications will not show a status, even if you have a CERA ID #. 

Employment Assistance

Those who are seeking employment can participate in the Rapid Jobs Program through Detroit At Work. For more information on this program, visit https://cloud.jobs.detroitatwork.com/rapid-jobs.

PRIORITIZATION OF HOUSEHOLDS

The federal Emergency Rental Assistance Program requires a prioritization of assistance for households with incomes less than 50% of area median income or households with one or more individuals that have not been employed for the 90-day period preceding the date of application. MSHDA has implemented this prioritization by reserving 70% of CERA program funds for these households as well as allowing the full 18-months of assistance. Households that are not within this priority group are only eligible for 16-months of assistance.