Need Help With Rent or Utilities? Rockville's Emergency Assistance Program Takes Applications From City Residents

Rockville residents who fall behind on rent or face a utility shut-off have a city program built for exactly that moment. The Rockville Emergency Assistance Program, known as REAP, provides temporary financial assistance to eligible residents for rent, utilities, prescription medications, medical and dental expenses, food and other basic needs, and the city is reminding residents the program is taking applications now.

The eligibility lines are specific. Applicants must have lived within Rockville city limits for at least six months and must demonstrate financial need. For standard rental assistance, the city asks for a current court-issued eviction notice or a qualifying court document, such as a summons for failure to pay rent. Pre-eviction help exists too, on a case-by-case basis, and does not require court papers — those applicants provide a late rent notice or other acceptable documentation showing at least one month of past-due rent. Utility assistance requires a current shut-off notice, or service that has already been disconnected.

The door into the program, for most residents, is the county. The application process varies by the kind of help needed, but most residents first apply through the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services; the county then refers eligible city residents to Rockville for a REAP application. After a referral, the city's Housing and Community Development staff contact the resident to gather additional information and schedule an appointment. Referrals for emergency food, clothing, and financial and employment counseling are also available through the program, the city says.