The Biden administration is calling on major companies, nonprofits, government agencies, faith-based organizations, and others to spread the word that emergency rental assistance (ERA) is available for tenants and landlords. The call to action coincided with the July 28 debut of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB’s) rental assistance look up tool that helps renters and landlords find information about ERA programs in their areas.
The administration is building on its whole-of-government approach and encouraging all stakeholders to make sure tenants and landlords take advantage of the historic funding to keep people in their homes. The urge stakeholders to raise awareness of the CFPB’s new tool and ERA by utilizing the CFPB’s ERA Call to Action Toolkit, which contains key messages, sample social media content, flyers, and other resources to help spread the word about available resources.
Federal, state, and local governments, landlords, advocates, ERA program administrators, and others must do more to prevent millions of renters from losing their homes when the CDC eviction moratorium expires on July 31. The latest Census Pulse Survey data indicate that 6.5 million renter households are behind on rent and at heightened risk of eviction when the moratorium expires.
Given the slow pace of ERA spending, low vaccination rates in marginalized communities most at risk of eviction, and the newly surging Delta variant, states and cities must improve and expedite ERA programs by incorporating the features proven to increase success in reaching the lowest-income and most marginalized tenants. NLIHC urges state and local partners to ensure that: 1) tenants and landlords in need know about and can access ERA; 2) ERA applications are flexible, streamlined, and low barrier; and 3) ERA programs are connected to other tenant protections and ultimately successful in preventing evictions. Learn more about ensuring ERA programs are visible, accessible, and preventive by attending NLIHC’s ERASE (End Rental Arrears to Stop Evictions) three-part webinar series!
Federal, state, and local governments, landlords, advocates, ERA program administrators, and others must do more to prevent millions of renters from losing their homes now that the CDC eviction moratorium expired on July 31. Join NLIHC in raising awareness of the billions of dollars in federal rental assistance available to tenants!
- Use the administration’s Rental Assistance Call to Action Toolkit to inform tenants and landlords about the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Rental Assistance Finder and the Interagency Housing Assistance Portal to help them find available resources in their area.
- NLIHC is tracking and sharing a searchable database of more than 480 Treasury ERA programs and developed an ERA Resource Hub with additional materials to help programs implement practices for an equitable distribution of assistance to those most in need. Access NLIHC’s ERA resources here.
- Register for NLIHC’s ERASE three-part webinar series, which will provide ERA program administrators, state and local partners, and community stakeholders with tools and best practices to ensure that ERA reaches households experiencing the worst impacts of the pandemic — including households of color, people with disabilities, and immigrant communities — in time to prevent housing loss and eviction.
Thank you for your continued advocacy!