NEW YORK (WKBW) — New York has requested additional federal funding for the state's Emergency Rental Assistance Program.
Governor Kathy Hochul announced the state has requested $996 million for the program to "help fulfill an unmet need among struggling tenants and landlords."
The program opened for applications on June 1, 2021 with over $2 billion in funding available. More than 280,000 applications have been received and the governor's office said it has nearly fully obligated that funding.
"In total, the program has either obligated or paid more than $2 billion in rental assistance, covering roughly 165,000 applications to the program, including over 81,000 direct payments to landlords. Last month, the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance warned that the program's federal funding was almost entirely committed, except in limited areas where allocations have not yet been exhausted," a release says.
According to the governor's office, without additional federal assistance the program will be unable to fulfill many pending requests.
Clearly the demand for rental assistance across New York State is far outstripping the amount of funding we have available. I applaud Governor Hochul for recognizing this early on, making this program a priority of her administration, and taking swift action to ensure New York State is in a position to receive any funds reallocated by the federal government.
