In one case, a tenant applied who was seven months behind on rent. McWilliams said he’s had a handful of tenants apply for the program. Some of that federal money went toward administrative costs. The state’s total allocated for round two was $186.6 million. In the first round of the Emergency Rental Assistance Program, Connecticut received $235.9 million. Connecticut received two rounds of money. The federally funded program aimed to prevent a wave of evictions for people who were financially impacted by the pandemic.
“Each case is different, and there are many variables that come into play, including whether the applications were in fact complete from both the tenant and the landlord,” Turner said. The program allows up to $15,000 in rental assistance per household. State Department of Housing spokesperson Aaron Turner pointed to the program’s payment statistics - more than $200 million in payments have been made to more than 7,000 landlords to cover the rents of more than 30,000 households since March 2021 when the program launched. Evictions require case numbers with UniteCT to be filed until next month when Gov. Pamela Heller, a staff attorney at the center, said part of the reason for the increase may be because landlords want to avoid participating in UniteCT. The lapse of time cases, which occur when leases expire and landlords don’t renew, have more than doubled from 763 between August and December 2019 to 1,723 between August and December 2021, according to data from the Connecticut Fair Housing Center.
“The biggest thing is not just the money, it’s the uncertainty of whether it’s going to get paid,” said Mark McWilliams, a full-time landlord who manages close to 25 properties in Colchester, East Haddam, Norwich, Plainfield and Thompson.Įviction filings have been on an upward trend, and “lapse of time” cases have also increased in recent months.
I applaud Connecticut’s Congressional delegation and the Biden-Harris administration for providing the resources required to keep our families safely housed.Processing for fully completed applications may take up to 60 days, according to a notice on the UniteCT website earlier this month. “The pandemic exacerbated a national housing affordability crisis, especially for families of color who are more likely to rent their homes and more likely to have missed payments through no fault of their own. “UniteCT provides Connecticut tenants and landlords a much-needed fresh start and further assistance so our families can get back on their feet without worrying about the roof over their heads,” Governor Ned Lamont said in a statement. The American Rescue Plan passed last week also included funding for rental and homeowner assistance. The program will be funded by the $235 million appropriated to the state for emergency rental and utility assistance in December's stimulus package. Aid will also be available through a call center and at housing counseling agencies and other community partners. Tenants and landlords will be able to apply and track applications online. The program, called UniteCT, offers up to $10,000 in rental assistance and up to $1,500 in electric utility payments to landlords and utility companies on behalf of approved tenants. State officials on Monday announced a new program that will offer rent and utility assistance to eligible households affected by COVID-19.
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