Alabama

NLIHC has estimated a need for no less than $100 billion in emergency rental assistance and broke down the need and cost for each state (download Excel spreadsheet). 

In response to COVID-19 and its economic fallout, many cities and states are creating or expanding rental assistance programs to support individuals and families impacted by the pandemic, and NLIHC is tracking in-depth information on these programs.  

You can use the interactive map and searchable database to find state and local emergency rental assistance programs near you. You can also see the latest news on rental assistance programs through the state-by-state news tracker. Note that this is not a comprehensive list of all rental assistance programs as we continue to update frequently. If you are aware of a program not included in our database, please contact [email protected]. 

COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Programs

Across the country, homeless service providers are struggling to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to follow public health guidelines and help ensure people’s safety, some shelters are being forced to reduce services, restrict admittance, or close entirely. The loss of these critical resources puts people experiencing homelessness at even higher risk of illness. Check NLIHC's cumulative list of shelter closings.

Below is a list of shelters that have had to majorly alter services or completely close:

No information at this time.

The City of Huntsville launched Phase 2 of the city’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program on December 13. 

Updated on December 20, 2021

AL.com reports legal aid and housing advocates hope to see Alabama increase access to legal representation for people facing eviction and make its COVID-19 emergency rental assistance program permanent. According to Nicholas McKinney, an attorney with Legal Services Alabama, most tenants are unaware of the $263 million in federal rent relief the state was awarded to keep tenants in their homes.

Updated on November 15, 2021

Many Alabama renters at risk of eviction report barriers to accessing aid through the state’s rental assistance program, and housing advocates say the Emergency Rental Assistance Alabama program lacks the capacity to distribute aid in a timely manner. The Alabama Housing Finance Authority partnered with Legal Services Alabama to create the Imminent Eviction Prevention Initiative in June, which allows for expedited processing of rental assistance applications.

Updated on November 8, 2021

AL.com reports Alabama has spent only $6.2 million out of $23.3 million in federal emergency rental assistance (ERA) as of September 30. The Alabama Housing Finance Authority is contracting with HorneLLP, a Mississippi-based contractor, to administer the program. Invoices from HorneLLP show that most of the $6.2 million have been spent on paying the employees administering the program. Horne has awarded funds to just 3,451 households.

Updated on October 19, 2021

Members of Black Lives Matter and other local organizations on September 14 stood outside Birmingham City Hall and demanded that Mayor Randall Woodfin and city leaders enact an eviction moratorium. With the federal eviction moratorium no longer in effect, thousands of people across Birmingham could soon face eviction.

Updated on September 21, 2021

According to the Alabama Housing Finance Authority, as of July 15, $4.4 million of the $237 million it received to administer the statewide Emergency Rental Assistance Alabama had been provided to 597 households. With census data indicating nearly 58,000 Alabama residents report they could be evicted over the next two months, housing advocates are concerned about a surge of evictions and a rise in homelessness. 
Updated on August 30, 2021

The Montgomery Advertiser outlines how Montgomery County renters and landlords can access Alabama’s emergency rental and utility assistance program.

Updated on April 17, 2021

NPR shares the story of an Alabama resident who was evicted during the pandemic, highlighting that his experience is a window into what potentially millions more American may face if they cannot catch up on back rent by the end of June when the federal eviction moratorium expires. Felicia Jackson, the executive director of the Alabama Rural Coalition for the Homeless, says the organization is seeing many evictions, despite the CDC eviction moratorium.

The Emergency Rental Assistance Alabama program is now taking applications. Landlords and tenants can apply at https://eraalabama.com/. Learn more about the ERA Alabama program at a webinar on March 18 at 3 pm CT.

Updated on March 31, 2021

The Alabama Housing Finance Authority (AHFA) will soon begin administering relief through the $263 million Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) Alabama Program. Check out these flyers for landlords and renters, utility providers, and information on ERA Alabama eligibility questions, 

Updated on March 08, 2021

Governor Kay Ivey authorized the Alabama Housing Finance Authority (AHFA) to implement the state’s new $263 million COVID-19 emergency rental assistance program. AHFA expects to accept applications from landlords and tenants beginning March 1.

Updated on February 22, 2021

A patchwork of local, state, and federal eviction protections has made it difficult for the average tenant and landlord to navigate the process. While the federal eviction moratorium has protected many Alabama renters, others have fallen through the cracks due to loopholes and a lack of enforcement. Dev Wakeley, a policy analyst for Alabama Arise, says that current eviction moratoriums are not enough to protect low-income renters and others facing eviction.

Updated on February 01, 2021

Just weeks after the federal eviction moratorium and supplemental unemployment insurance benefit expired, Montgomery shelters are filling up again with people who are now homeless.

Updated on August 25, 2020.

Alabama is seeing an increase in eviction cases as Congress stalls on decisions to extend weekly unemployment benefits and state and federal moratoriums on evictions expire. Legal Services of Alabama, which provides legal aid to low-income families, told Alabama Daily News that the month of June saw a 70% increase in eviction cases compared to June of 2019.

Updated on August 19, 2020.

After Governor Kay Ivey allowed the statewide eviction moratorium to expire on June 1, up to 48% of Alabama renters are in danger of losing their homes due to the pandemic’s economic fallout.

Alabama Arise released a statement on the Senate Republicans’ proposal for the next COVID-19 relief package. The statement outlines why the plan falls short of meeting the needs of low-income renters and urges Congress to include emergency rent and mortgage assistance in the next package.

Updated on August 4, 2020.

The Montgomery City Council on July 7 authorized Mayor Steven Reed to apply for $2.75 million in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG-CV) and Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG-CV). The federal funding would be used to re-house people experiencing homelessness, provide food to the elderly, expand COVID-19 testing and tracking, and establish an emergency crisis center.

Updated on July 13, 2020.

The city of Gadsden established a new utility assistance program to help residents who have fallen behind on their utility payments due to COVID-19. The program will be funded by Community Development Block Grant - Coronavirus (CDBG-CV) funds.

Updated on June 12, 2020.

Some Mobile County residents, including Elizabeth Chiepalich, who runs the Facebook group Homeless in Mobile, continue to distribute nutritional food, tents, mats, and other necessities to help people experiencing homelessness during the pandemic.

The Alabama Department of Public Health expanded coronavirus testing criteria to include certain asymptomatic, high-risk groups and individuals. The expanded criteria include people without symptoms who are residents of congregate housing settings, such as homeless shelters.

Birmingham shelters and nonprofit organizations, including Firehouse, First Light, and the Salvation Army’s Center of Hope, continue to serve people experiencing homelessness while adjusting to new guidelines due to the pandemic.

No information at this time.

Federal, state, and local eviction moratoriums are rapidly expiring and the CARES Act supplemental unemployment benefits will end soon; at that time, millions of low-income renters will be at risk of losing their homes. The NLIHC estimates at least $100 billion in emergency rental assistance is needed to keep low-income renters stably housed during and after the pandemic. This tracker links to news reports of the growing evictions crisis in various cities and states. Check NLIHC's cumulative list of eviction updates.

Alabama is seeing an increase in eviction cases as Congress stalls and state and federal moratoriums on evictions expire. Legal Services of Alabama (LSA), which provides legal aid to low-income families, told Alabama Daily News that the month of June saw a 70% increase in eviction cases compared to June 2019.

Updated: August 12

In-person eviction proceedings resumed May 15; the governor's order to suspend enforcement of new and old eviction orders lapsed on June 1. Eviction cases have resumed both remotely and in person. 

Updated: August 1

In the third week of July, 1 in 3 adults in Alabama reported they had missed their previous housing payment or had little confidence they would make their next one on time, according to a weekly survey conducted by the Census. In the same survey, 215,128 renters reported they had not paid their previous rental payment. 300, 000 Alabamians received the extra weekly payments of $600 through the CARES Act, which expired on July 25. Now many will see their weekly unemployment checks drop below $300. 

Updated: July 29 

According to a weekly survey by the Census, 1 in 5 adults in the state either missed their last housing payment or have little/no confidence of being able to make next month’s housing payment.

Updated: July 16