COVID-19: Financial Relief and Assistance Resources for Renters
INSIGHTi
COVID-19: Financial Relief and Assistance
Resources for Renters
Updated April 12, 2021
This Insight highlights resources from selected federal agencies and other organizations that may aid
renters at risk of eviction due to circumstances related to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
pandemic.
Federal-Level Protections
On September 4, 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published an order
temporarily halting residential evictions nationwide through December 31, 2020, for covered renters.
Division N of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (P.L. 116-260; enacted December 27, 2020)
extended the CDC eviction moratorium through January 31, 2021 (§502) and provided $25 bil ion for
Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) to be administered by state and local governments (§501).
On January 29, 2021, the CDC extended the eviction moratorium through March 31, 2021, and extended
the moratorium’s application to American Samoa, which the previous order did not cover.
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (P.L. 117-2; enacted March 11, 2021) included an additional
$21.55 bil ion for ERA (§3021). (For information about how states and localities may use their ERA
al ocations, see “Renter Protections and Assistance at State and Local Levels,” below.)
On March 29, 2021, the CDC extended the eviction moratorium through June 30, 2021.
These actions follow the expiration of a previous federal eviction moratorium in the Coronavirus Aid,
Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act; P.L. 116-136), which temporarily halted eviction filings
for nonpayment of rent against renters residing in federal y assisted properties or properties with federal y
backed mortgages. (See CRS Insight IN11516, Federal Eviction Moratoriums in Response to the COVID-
19 Pandemic, by Maggie McCarty and Libby Perl.)
The CARES Act also contained mortgage relief provisions for properties with federal y backed
mortgages, including the availability of mortgage forbearance. Property owners with federal y backed
multifamily mortgages (e.g., mortgages on properties with five or more housing units) that receive
forbearance are required to abide by certain protections for renters for the duration of the forbearance.
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(For an analysis of mortgage provisions in the CARES Act, see CRS Insight IN11334, Mortgage
Provisions in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, by Katie Jones and
Andrew P. Scott.)
On June 29, 2020, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced that multifamily property
owners with existing mortgages in forbearance may extend forbearance for an additional three months
beyond the 90 days provided for in the CARES Act, for a total of up to six months of forbearance, on
mortgages backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. Required renter protections continued during the
extended forbearance period. In March 2021, FHFA announced that multifamily forbearance wil remain
available through June 30, 2021.
On July 1, 2020, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced that renter
protections for HUD-insured or HUD-held multifamily mortgages in forbearance would continue for the
duration of the forbearance period, including any extensions. Multifamily property owners must notify
renters of the protections to which they are entitled.
On August 5, 2020, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reminded stakeholders that renter
protections for Rural Housing Service (RHS) multifamily properties in forbearance would continue for
the duration of the forbearance period, including any extensions.
Since August 6, 2020, the FHFA has required multifamily owners with Fannie Mae- or Freddie Mac-
backed mortgages who enter into new or modified forbearance agreements to notify renters of the
protections to which they are entitled.
Identify HUD-insured or HUD-held multifamily properties:
Federal Housing Administration-Insured Multifamily Properties
HUD Multifamily Assisted Properties
Identify Fannie Mae- or Freddie Mac- financed multifamily properties:
Fannie Mae Rental Property Lookup
Freddie Mac Rental Property Lookup
Identify RHS-financed or -held multifamily properties:
USDA RHS Multifamily Housing Rentals
These tools do not identify properties currently receiving forbearance and thus subject to related renter
protections.
State- and Local-Level Assistance and Protections
Many state and local governments have implemented legislative or legal measures to provide eviction
protections to renters affected by the pandemic. These governments have used federal COVID-19 relief
funding—including ERA and CARES Act funding—as wel as their own funding for emergency rental
assistance for tenants and landlords.
For more on the ERA program, see CRS Report R46688, Emergency Rental Assistance
through the Coronavirus Relief Fund, by Grant A. Driessen, Maggie McCarty, and Libby
Perl.
For more on CARES Act funding, see CRS Insight IN11319, Funding for HUD in the
CARES Act, coordinated by Maggie McCarty.
State and local eviction moratoriums:
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COVID-19 Eviction Moratoria by State, Commonwealth, and Territory (National
Housing Law Project, an advocacy group)
This spreadsheet, located under the “Map of State Eviction Moratoriums” header,
outlines eviction measures by state and when these measures expire. Faculty and students
from Columbia Law School, the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health,
and the University of Pennsylvania Law School created and maintain the spreadsheet.
State and local emergency rental assistance:
State Housing Finance Agency Emergency Rental Assistance Programs (National
Council of State Housing Agencies, an advocacy group)
This resource lists COVID-19 rental assistance programs implemented by state agencies
only, includes eligibility criteria for participants, and provides links to relevant state
websites.
State and Local Emergency Rental Assistance (National Low Income Housing Coalition,
an advocacy group)
This resource al ows users to view COVID-19 emergency rental assistance programs
implemented by state and local governments and compiles information regarding relevant
programs. Data are available in map and table formats.
Guidance for Renters
Renters in federally related properties:
Renters in HUD Housing (HUD)
Renters in Fannie Mae Multifamily Housing (Fannie Mae)
Renters in Freddie Mac Multifamily Housing (Freddie Mac)
Renters in RHS Multifamily Housing (USDA)
Note: Scroll to FAQs, see “Multi-Family Housing”
Protections for Renters (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau)
Renters facing eviction may seek assistance from housing counselors or legal services organizations for
help in resolving housing issues.
Locate Housing Counseling Agencies (HUD)
HUD-approved housing counseling agencies can assist with rental issues. Some agencies
also may assist with financial budgeting and credit issues.
Find Legal Help by State (Legal Service Corporation [LSC], a private, nonprofit,
federal y funded corporation)
LSC-funded legal services organizations provide legal assistance to low-income
populations in civil matters by distributing grants to local legal services providers.
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Author Information
Alyse N. Minter
Research Librarian
Disclaimer
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IN11498 · VERSION 7 · UPDATED