RENT ASSISTANCE SUSPENDED- The state of Louisiana has suspended an emergency rent assistance program to help with the economic slowdown caused by COVID-19 after more than 40,000 people started filling out applications in less than four days. Last Thursday, Governor John Bel Edwards announced the Louisiana Housing Corporation had set aside $24 million of federal money for the program. At the time the agency estimated they had enough money to help about 10,000 tenants, around $7 million on hand to immediately pay rent directly to landlords.
The emergency rent assistance was for low-income residents faced with the threat of eviction because their paychecks have taken a hit from the coronavirus outbreak and was to pay 3 months’ back rent and 3 months’ rent in advance. Housing advocates have said the program was insufficient to deal with the demand for housing assistance after the collapse of the economy and renewed that critique after hearing the news on Sunday.
In a statement the housing advocacy group Housing-LOUISIANA said the inundation of the program was to be expected, given an estimated 142,000 unemployed renters across the state who are in need of its services.
