Emergency Rental Assistance Program

Objective

The funding provided by Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) will among other things, assist eligible households that have difficulty making timely payments of rent and utilities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Division N, Title V, Section 501 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, CAA Pub. L. No. 116-260, (December 27, 2020) established the Emergency Rental Assistance (“ERA 1”) and provided $25 billion for the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury) to make payments to States (defined to include the District of Columbia), U.S. Territories (Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa), Indian Tribes or their Tribally designated housing entities, as applicable, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL), and certain local governments with more than 200,000 residents (collectively the “eligible grantees”) to provide financial assistance including payment of rent, rental arrears, utilities and home energy costs, utilities and home energy costs arrears, other costs related to housing, and housing stability services to eligible households. The authorizing statute instructed Treasury to make direct payments to the eligible grantees no later than 30 days after December 27, 2020. ERA1 ended in December 2022 as the period of performance for the initial allocation of ERA1 awards expired on September 30, 2022, and for reallocated funds expired on December 29, 2022. Title III, Subtitle B, Section 3201 of the American Rescue Plan Act, 2021, (ARPA), Pub. L. No. 117-2, (March 11, 2021) authorized the Emergency Rental Assistance (“ERA 2”) and provides $21.55 billion for Treasury to make payments to States (defined to include the District of Columbia), U.S. Territories (Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa), and certain local governments with more than 200,000 residents (collectively the “eligible grantees”) to provide financial assistance including payment of rent, rental arrears, utilities and home energy costs, utilities and home energy costs arrears, other costs related to housing, and housing stability services to eligible households, as well as to cover the cost of other affordable rental housing and eviction prevention activities, as defined by the Secretary, serving very low-income families. ERA 2’s authorizing statute provided for Treasury to pay all ERA 2 eligible grantees at least 40% of each grantee’s total allocations within 60 days after March 11, 2021, pursuant to section 3201(c) (1) of ARPA. ERA2 is ongoing as the period of performance on ERA2 awards end on September 30, 2025. No new awards are being made but existing projects are still active.

Who Can Apply

• State
• Territorial
• Local
• Tribal

ERA 1: States (including the District of Columbia), U.S. Territories (Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa), certain local governments with more than 200,000 residents, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL), and Indian tribes or their Tribally designated housing entities, as applicable are eligible grantees under ERA1, as described in section 501(k)(2) of the CAA. Units of local government eligible for payment directly include a county, municipality, town, township, village, parish, borough, or other unit of general government below the state level with a population that exceeds 200,000. ERA 2: Section 3201(f)(1) of ARPA provides that eligible grantees for funding under ERA 2 are States (defined to include the District of Columbia), U.S. Territories (Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa), and certain local governments with more than 200,000 residents.

Who Benefits

• Other

ERA 1: Eligible grantees may use funds to provide financial assistance including payment of rent, rental arrears, utilities and home energy costs, utilities and home energy costs arrears, other costs related to housing, and housing stability services for eligible households. Eligible households may apply directly for the assistance and a landlord or utility company may apply for assistance on behalf of the eligible household. See the ERA FAQs for more information at https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/coronavirus/assistance-for-state-local-and-tribal-governments/emergency-rental-assistance-program. ERA 2: Eligible grantees may use ERA 2 funds to provide financial assistance including payment of rent, rental arrears, utilities and home energy costs, utilities and home energy costs arrears, other costs related to housing, housing stability services for eligible households, and to cover the cost of other affordable rental housing and eviction prevention activities, as defined by the Secretary, serving very low-income families. Eligible households may apply directly for the assistance and a landlord or utility company may apply for assistance on behalf of the eligible household. See the ERA FAQs for more information at https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/coronavirus/assistance-for-state-local-and-tribal-governments/emergency-rental-assistance-program.

Assistance Types

• Direct Payment for Specified Use

Program Contact

EmergencyRentalAssistance@treasury.gov
(202) 622-2000