Rent Aid Funds: Only $5 Billion Were Spread Out of $45 Billion by August

By Prattiba JaiSri On Sep 15, 2021

Haven’t received your rental assistance yet?

The disbursement of the rental assistance funds has been really slow. Out of $45 billion allocated for rent aid, only $5 billion were sent out by August. This means that many people are still struggling to pay their rent, or are in danger of being thrown out by their landlords because of housing debt.

The Supreme Court has refused to reinstate the federal eviction ban which left renters and tenants no other choice.

However, most people are still suffering financial repercussions because of the pandemic and despite the states having big funds for rental assistance, several delays avoid these payments from making their way to those who actually need them.

Less than 1 million households across the country have received rental assistance.

Reports say that the delays were caused by technical difficulties of channeling the funds individually to every single person who applied for rental assistance. Many states have said that they have been dealing with these issues.

Some states are putting added protections in place for renters who risk losing their homes. For example, New York recently extended its own eviction ban until 2022. Still, according to a recent analysis by the Urban Institute more than 2 million people could be at immediate risk of eviction with the slow rental funds’ rollout.

Landlords are also saying that the delays are affecting them too. Many landlords need those funds to cover their own mortgages and housing expenses. So the fact that many states are dragging their feet is a disservice to millions of Americans on both sides of the housing equation.

Some people opt for simply applying for rental assistance is enough to ward off eviction for the time being. Despite this, states should take note and avoid delays at all costs to distribute the money quicker.

If you would like to apply for rental assistance, you may still do so via the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development maintains a list of rental assistance programs by state.

From there, however, the process of applying for aid varies from state to state, so renters may need to contact their local state housing agencies for guidance.