By Josh Boardman, Basic Needs Coordinator

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people struggled to put food on their tables or pay their rent when faced with loss or reduced income. While the federal eviction moratorium put a stop to evictions across the country, it has put many people thousands of dollars in debt to their landlords.

While the official number of people in the united states facing eviction is unknown, many estimates range in the millions if not tens of millions. In late June, the Center for Disease Control made an effort to halt evictions for one additional month, and the official federal eviction moratorium will end on July 30, 2021. In the final statement released by the CDC, they noted this would be the last extension of the eviction suspension.

So, what’s next? Resources have been put in place to assist renters who have fallen behind because of the financial burden. Below you will find a list of resources to review:

Housing and Urban Development (HUD):

Overview: This link provides a toolkit from the federal agency that oversees policies relating to housing.

• HUD Renters Toolkit
• Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP)

Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance

Overview: The New York State Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) will provide significant economic relief to help low and moderate-income households at risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability by providing rental arrears, temporary rental assistance, and utility arrears assistance.

Tenant Safe Harbor Act

Overview: The Tenant Safe Harbor Act (S.8192B) protects from eviction for renters who have experienced financial hardship during the COVID-19 State of Emergency.

• New York State Senate Press Release
• org

Legal Aid

Overview: The link below provides a directory to legal services across the state of New York at little to no cost. Find a legal aid near you and contact them to see if they can offer any support.

If you have additional questions not answered in this article, reach out to the SUNY Empire Basic Needs’ Coordinator at Basic.Needs@esc.edu.