The Emergency Rental Assistance program provides funding for government entities to assist households unable to pay rent or utilities.
How federal rental assistance works
Treasury provides emergency rental assistance funding to the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, Tribally Designated Housing Entities, state, local, territorial, and Tribal governments to distribute assistance to qualifying landlords, utility providers, and renters, which helps struggling renters to keep up with rent and other expenses related to housing. Many of these programs offer assistance to landlords, utility providers, and renters. Renters, utility providers, and landlords can find out what emergency rental assistance covers, how it works, and who's eligible on the interagency housing portal hosted by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).
Find rental assistance
Civil Rights complaints
To file a program discrimination complaint about an Emergency Rental Assistance Program, send your complaint to:
Director, Office of Civil Rights and Equal Employment Opportunity
1500 Pennsylvania Ave, N.W.
Washington, DC 20220
What the Department of the Treasury will do to ensure nondiscrimination
The Department of the Treasury will conduct investigations of civil rights complaints filed against recipients of financial assistance under any of its programs. If discrimination is found, the Department of the Treasury can defer action on an application for federal financial assistance, issue a cautionary letter, or as an ultimate consequence deny funding. Independently of any possible actions to be taken by the Department of the Treasury, courts have interpreted that Title VI provides a private right of action.
Report fraud, waste, and abuse
The Office of Inspector General offers the following guidance, which is also available at:
Report Fraud, Waste, and Abuse | Office of Inspector General (treasury.gov).
Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) - In addition to filing a complaint with our office, we strongly recommend you also report ERA fraud to the local agency responsible for disbursing Rental Assistance funds (the entity who accepts and processes ERA applications for rental assistance) or the District of Columbia, Tribe, Tribally Designated Housing Entity (TDHE), Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL), State, Local government, or Territorial Agency that oversees the program. That agency may be able to take immediate action regarding the issue or redirect funds appropriately.
Please be aware that local law enforcement is a valuable resource for many issues of the type you may also refer to this Office. Local law enforcement may offer advantages such as the ability to interact quickly with the community, prosecute criminal offenses, and often has comprehensive victim, witness, and social services support programs which may better offer real-time assistance. Your State, Local, Tribal, Territorial or DC law enforcement agency with primary law enforcement jurisdiction is usually the same agency that responds to 911 calls.
Report Fraud, Waste and Abuse to Treasury
Funding to states, local, territorial, and Tribal governments
Even as the American economy continues its recovery from the devastating impact of the pandemic, millions of Americans face deep rental debt and fear evictions and the loss of basic housing security. COVID-19 has exacerbated an affordable housing crisis that predated the pandemic and that has deep disparities that threaten the strength of an economic recovery that must work for everyone.
To meet this need, the Emergency Rental Assistance program makes funding available to government entities to assist households that are unable to pay rent or utilities.
Learn more about funding to state, local, territorial, and Tribal governments for Emergency Rental Assistance