Population Health Research Brief Series

COVID-19 exacerbated existing problems with housing affordability in the United States, particularly for Black and Hispanic renters. To curb these financial hardships, Congress created the Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) program, but ERA rollout has been slow and inconsistent.

This brief describes geographic differences in ERA spending across the U.S. and encourages states and localities to adopt policies that increase program eligibility and streamline fund disbursement.