Treasury Announces Seven Additional Policies to Encourage State and Local Governments to Expedite Emergency Rental Assistance

State and local programs have spent more than $5.1 billion to support the housing stability of vulnerable renters out of the $25 billion allocated under the first round of ERA (ERA1). Since January, state and local programs have made about 1 million payments benefitting households at risk of eviction. In July alone, more than 340,000 households received nearly $1.7 billion in rental and utilities assistance, a roughly 15% increase in households served compared to June, and more than double the number of households served in May. The latest data also demonstrates that ERA funds reached the lowest income tenants, with more than 60 percent of households served falling at or below 30 percent of area median income. Many programs have shown an ability to aid vulnerable households quickly, with 70 state and local agencies having expended more than half of their ERA1 allocation assistance to eligible households by the end of July. However, too many grantees have yet to demonstrate sufficient progress in getting assistance to struggling tenants and landlords. After September, programs that are unwilling or unable to deliver assistance quickly will be at risk of having their rental assistance funding reallocated to effective programs in other high-need areas.

“Self-attestation can be used in documenting each aspect of a household’s eligibility for ERA, including with respect to: a) financial hardship, b) the risk of homelessness or housing instability, and c) income

During the public health emergency, state and local ERA programs may rely on self-attestation alone to document household income eligibility when documentation is not available.

State and local grantees may advance assistance to landlords and utility providers based on estimated eligible arears.

State and local grantees may enter into partnership with nonprofits to deliver advance assistance to households at risk of eviction while their applications are still being processed.

Grantees may make additional rent payments to landlords that take on tenants facing major barriers to securing a lease, including those who have been evicted or experienced homelessness in the past year.

Past arrears at previous addresses may be covered. To remove barriers a household may face in accessing new housing if they have outstanding debt in collection, Treasury’s guidance makes clear that state and local grantees may—at an eligible tenant’s request—provide assistance to cover remaining rental or utility arrears at a previous address.

A tenant’s costs associated with obtaining a hearing or appealing an order of eviction may be covered with ERA funds as an eligible “other expense.”

I am a small landlord. I have one tenant that hasn’t paid rent since October, and is now $10,000 in arrears. I have been told that because of local law, landlords can’t evict or seek ERA dollars. The tenant must do it. Anyone know where an application is since they will now accept self attestation?

Thanks,

Gwjack

This is out and out socialism. My County received $5M last March. As of today, we have spent maybe $1.5M. Last month, the feds wanted to give us ANOTHER $5M. My Board, all Republicans (I am a County Supervisor) were going to vote it through until I made my argument that this is ushering in socialism. Getting people ready to rely on the government for all their basic needs. I said that people have figured out their circumstances. They are not baby birds waiting for the government to drop a worm in their mouths, which is what the Federal government wants and frankly, what they think of their people. I was livid. The other Board members joined with me and ended up voting it down unanimously.

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