The National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLHIC) released today a Research Note, Emergency Rental Assistance Programs in Response to COVID-19, that provides a descriptive analysis of over 440 rental assistance programs created or expanded in response to COVID-19. The analysis provides insight into how programs are funded, designed, and implemented.
The report finds that, although state and local governments have allocated at least $3.9 billion to emergency rental assistance, the magnitude and duration of need far outstrip available assistance. Most programs (81%) only provide short-term relief up to three months despite the much longer duration thus far of the pandemic and its economic fallout. Furthermore, too few programs specifically target extremely low-income renters, those with the greatest needs.
