Wyoming

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 Wyoming Department of Family Services has distributed just $14.5 million of the $325 million in federal emergency rental assistance funds. As of late December, 9,019 applications have been submitted, and 5,670 have been paid.

Updated on January 30, 2022

Wyoming Public Media reports that Wyoming’s $200 million Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) will start accepting applications on April 29. The article cites NLIHC’s FAQ on COVID-19 and rural communities. Learn more about Wyoming’s ERAP program here.

Updated on May 3, 2021

Governor Mark Gordon issued an executive order allowing the Wyoming Department of Family Services to begin preparing its distribution plan for the state’s $200 million emergency rental assistance program. “The need for this program cannot be understated, but it requires significant work to run it effectively and that’s what begins now,” said Governor Gordon. Wyoming 2-1-1 reports a 280% increase in calls for rental assistance in 2020.

Updated on February 17, 2021

Non-profit organizations and service providers report that Wyoming allocated far too small a percentage of CARES Act funds – less than half a percent – to eviction prevention and food insecurity efforts. The Wyoming Emergency Housing Assistance Program was originally funded at $15 million. By December, however, the program distributed only slightly more than 10% of the funding – $1.5 million – and returned the rest of the funds to the governor for reallocation. The CARES rental assistance program rejected one-third of the applications it received, in part due to its stringent qualification.

Updated on January 15, 2021

Governor Mark Gordon approved the allocation of $15 million in federal Coronavirus Relief Fund dollars to establish an eviction prevention program overseen by the Wyoming Community Development Authority. Learn more about the Wyoming Emergency Housing Assistance Program.

Updated on June 12, 2020.

FEMA approved COVID-19 crisis counseling assistance for Wyoming residents.

In a letter to the editor of the Wyoming Tribune Eagle, a resident of Cheyenne asked her community to contact their members of Congress and urge them to include $100 billion in emergency rental assistance and eviction prevention. 

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.

No statewide moratorium ever issued. The governor did set up a housing assitance program with funds that can be used to prevent evictions, and the State Supreme Court ordered courts to postpone hearings if individual is ill or caring for the sick.  Eviction hearings are being conducted remotely. 

Updated: July 31

In the third week of July, 1 in 4 adults in Wyoming 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, 17,080renters reported they had not paid their previous rental payment.

Updated: July 29 

Wyoming never issued a statewide eviction moratorium, allowing localities to decide for themselves. According to a weekly Census survey, 28,931 renters indicated they had not paid their June rent, with an additional 2,231 reporting they had deferred their June rent. 

Updated: July 16