Rent relief flows
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Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
More renters got help last month, as the Treasury Department released a record amount of emergency rental assistance.
Why it matters: After an initially slow rollout of the Treasury program, the Biden administration over the summer put pressure on states to speed up disbursements.
- September also marked the first month after the Supreme Court overturned the federal ban on evictions.
Driving the news: More than 510,000 households received support of nearly $2.8 billion in total in September, Treasury said Monday.
- That's an 11% increase in households that received aid, and a 22% jump in the amount of aid disbursed, compared to August.
- All told, the program has facilitated 2 million household payments, totaling more than $10 billion.
Context: The federal government allocated a total of $46.55 billion in emergency rental assistance as part of last year’s coronavirus relief package and Biden’s American Rescue Plan.
- Yes, but: There had been little state and local infrastructure in place for renters and landlords to apply — or for agencies to process applications and to disburse the funds quickly.
What we're watching: The Treasury Department will begin to reallocate unused state and local funds next month — and will send the money to states that are asking for more.
