Latest Update: On April 13, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced that 82 state and local grantees have been awarded $521.1 million in reallocated funds under the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERA) to assist renters facing financial hardship. Per their announcement, funds will be deployed to areas that have demonstrated the highest need. Learn more.
The Emergency Rental Assistance program makes funding available to assist households that are unable to pay rent or utilities. Two separate programs have been established:
- ERA1 provides up to $25 billion under the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 and was enacted on December 27, 2020. This program closed on September 30, 2022.
- ERA2 provides up to $21.55 billion under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and was enacted on March 11, 2021.This program is set to close September 30, 2025.
The funds are provided directly to states, U.S. territories, local governments, and (in the case of ERA1) Indian tribes. Grantees use the funds to provide assistance to eligible households through existing or newly created rental assistance programs. As of this writing, the ERA programs have disbursed nearly 10.8 million payments to households.
Disbursement Updates
On April 11, the National Council of State Housing Agencies (NCSHA) released a survey that identifies the status of ERA funds across 44 states. Here is an overview of their findings—the complete report can be accessed on their website:
- 73 percent of surveyed states are no longer accepting new applications because they have already exhausted all their available ERA resources or are soon to do so.
- Of the 27 percent of states still accepting applications, 26 percent expect to close their application portals within six months, 26 percent expect their portals to remain open for more than six months, and the remainder are not sure how long they will be able to continue to accept applications.
Housing providers and renters can access the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) website to identify if rental resources are still available in your area: https://www.consumerfinance.gov/coronavirus/mortgage-and-housing-assistance/renter-protections/find-help-with-rent-and-utilities/
Key Program Resources
Information on Disbursement Status, Program Guidance and Other Recent Actions:
Housing Provider and Renter Resources to Identify Available Rental Assistance:
The information provided herein is general in nature and is not intended to be legal advice. It is designed to assist our members in understanding this issue area, but it is not intended to address specific fact circumstances or business situations. For specific legal advice, consult your attorney.
