Pandemic Rental Assistance gets a significant boost from The U.S. Treasury Department. The department plans to reallocate more than $1 billion from areas the assistance went unused.
Now, the assistance will flow into areas with a higher need. Specifically, $50 million of the reallocated funds will go to California, the most of any state. New Jersey will receive $43 million, and New York will receive $27 million. The District of Columbia will get $18 million in Pandemic Rental Assistance. In addition, Native American tribes and local governments nationwide will split the remainder of the funds.
(Couple moving amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic)
At the moment, it’s not clear which communities gave up the COVID-19 rental assistance funding. However, the Treasury Department says nearly all of the funds were voluntarily given to governments in the same state as the entities to which they had been granted.
Communities that received the initial funding faced losing it if they didn’t obligate at least 65% or spend 15% of the money by November 2021.
“Any amounts recaptured from a grantee were first prioritized to grantees in the same state that were deemed eligible to receive reallocated funds.”
U.S. Treasury Department News Release
Pandemic Rental Assistance: The Need is Still There
Despite the headline, many areas are still in need. During the announcement, Treasury Department leaders highlighted the success of pandemic rental assistance programs in preventing eviction. Specifically, leaders noted that eviction rates remain 60% below historical levels before the COVID-19 pandemic began. This despite the moratorium pausing evictions ended in August 2021.
No family has to face eviction during the uncertain times of the COVID-19 pandemic. Multiple agencies are offering assistance for those facing financial hardships caused by the pandemic. If you or someone you know is struggling, assistance is available! Click here for a number of Pandemic Rental Assistance Resources we’ve compiled for you.
