With national eviction ban over, how to apply for rental assistance

Now that struggling renters are no longer protected by a national ban on evictions, it has become even more pressing for those households to get approved for federal rental assistance.

Congress has allocated more than $45 billion in rental assistance to address the crisis hitting tenants and their landlords, but the money has been painfully slow to reach families. Seven months after those funds were approved, 16 states have apparently spent less than 5% of their share.

“That number has barely budged since March, which tells us all we need to know about the unacceptably slow pace of spending by many states and cities,” said Diane Yentel, president and CEO…