The Bucks Emergency Rental Assistance program (BERA) has updated their financial relief programs for local residents. Emily Rizzo wrote about the important updates for WHYY.

As part of the update to their relief program, eligible candidates who are renters and have already received BERA aid can apply again. New applicants to the BERA program can receive three total months of financial assistance as part of the update to the program.

The chances to the program come as a result of the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had on applicants. Some people were negatively impacted by the restrictions placed on organizations such as BERA. Jeff Fields, the director of Bucks County’s Department of Housing and Community Development, said that the changes will help applicants with their debts.

“We have just about used all of [the funds],” said Fields. “But we do have enough that we want to try to make it available to anyone who has already applied … We want to get those applications in and pay as much of it as we can.”

The new BERA program is expected to last until 2023. Further changes are expected to take place with changing circumstances come that time period.

Read more about the recent updates to the relief programs at WHYY.