House Committee Passes Bill Aimed at Rental Assistance Inefficiencies

The Committee on House Financial Services passed H.R. 5196, the “Expediting Assistance to Renters and Landlords Act of 2021,” which aims to address a number of Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) inefficiencies. 

National Multifamily Housing Council, however, continues to oppose the bill’s inclusion of a four-month eviction moratorium contingency. NMHC has led a coalition of housing organizations opposing the eviction moratorium provision in the proposed ERAP legislation.

As this legislation moves on to the House for consideration, its passage remains uncertain.

The bill includes encouraging provisions aimed at streamlining the program, such as allowing owners to apply for assistance when they have an unresponsive resident and for vacant units; expanding the timeline for assistance eligibility for renters to 24 months due to COVID’s continuing economic impact; improving self-attestation ability of residents; and providing needed clarity to grantees. 

The inclusion of a 120-day eviction moratorium as a condition of assistance, as well as several of the other counterproductive provisions, continues to perpetuate the challenges that owners have when it comes to navigating the program.

Prior to the Committee’s passage, NMHC led a coalition of real estate organizations in sending a letter on September 14 urging policymakers to oppose the eviction moratorium provisions. Instead, the coalition encouraged the Committee to focus on breaking down programmatic barriers, like these eviction restrictions, that have deterred housing provider participation and hindered the overall success of the program.

“As written, this mandate could leave housing providers without the rental income that they rely on to operate their business, pay their employees and importantly, maintain the structural integrity and quality of the housing for their resident communities,” the letter reads. “We believe that further revisions would reduce the barriers to housing provider participation in ERAP-funded programs and increase positive outcomes for participating renters and housing providers alike.”