Hialeah keeps two municipal rental-assistance programs active

Hialeah residents who need help covering rent have two active municipal programs available: SHIP and ESG. To begin either process, they must contact the local division responsible for housing and community services. ERAP is no longer accepting applications, so it is not among the current alternatives for requesting this assistance.

The first contact is made by calling 305-883-8040. Municipal staff provide guidance, conduct an initial review of each household's circumstances and explain how to proceed. That assessment does not mean every application follows the same path: available information indicates that subsequent steps depend on the situation of those seeking assistance.

SHIP has a specific requirement for applicants: an in-person appointment must be scheduled. That condition distinguishes its process from the initial telephone guidance that serves as the starting point for both programs. The call provides instructions and identifies the appropriate next step, but it does not replace the appointment required to seek help through SHIP.

SHIP income limits vary by household size and income category. For one person, the published annual caps are $28,600 for extremely low income, $47,700 for very low income and $76,300 for low income. Those amounts correspond to different categories and therefore are not a single figure applying to every applicant.

For households of eight people, the stated extremely-low-income limit reaches $143,900 a year. The difference between that amount and the individual caps reflects that the review considers both income and household size. People seeking assistance can therefore begin by calling the municipal number and asking how the process applies to their household's circumstances.