Article Title: Can’t Pay Rent? Here’s Where to Get Help
Introduction
When the federal eviction moratorium ends, you can still get urgent rental assistance to cover rent and housing-related bills if you’re facing eviction. To help you find out where and how to apply for assistance, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the National Low Income Housing Coalition have created dedicated websites. Goldman Sachs states that according to current policies, approximately 750,000 people are likely to be evicted by the end of the year.
Government Rental Assistance
When the Supreme Court struck down the federal eviction moratorium last week, the first-ever federal rental relief plan, valued at $47 billion, remained in effect. This plan pays utility bills and up to 18 months of rent for tenants who have been unable to pay due to the financial impacts of the pandemic. Since the program began in December, it has faced obstacles and slow implementation, although officials are working to streamline the process for getting money to affected tenants and homeowners. There are several resources available to help people find out where and how to apply.
Assistance Websites
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has created a website that allows users to enter their address and obtain contact information for the local program that administers assistance in their area. Another site, managed by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, provides detailed information about 493 local and state agencies distributing assistance, including agencies that simply allow tenants to declare they have been financially affected by the pandemic and have lost income, or that they meet other eligibility requirements. In some states, agencies require applicants to provide documentation, such as lease agreements and pay stubs, to prove they meet the requirements.
Current Estimates
Goldman Sachs estimates that about 750,000 people may be evicted by the end of the year according to current policies. With evictions resuming in about 90% of the country by October, the rental assistance program is now a critical safeguard for tenants following the end of the federal eviction moratorium, and many remaining state eviction moratoriums are expected to expire by September, according to Goldman Sachs researchers. If the distribution of rental assistance continues at the current pace, it is anticipated that there will be between 1 to 2 million households behind on rent and struggling to obtain assistance by the time the last state eviction moratorium ends, according to Goldman Sachs estimates.
Do you have a question, comment, or story you’d like to share? You can reach Deacon at the email dhyatt@thebalance.com.
Source: https://www.thebalancemoney.com/can-t-pay-rent-here-s-where-to-find-help-5199412
Leave a Reply