The 1-Year Impact of the American Rescue Plan’s Emergency Rental Assistance

One year after President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan (ARP), new Treasury Department data show how emergency rental assistance (ERA) has played a key role in preventing evictions and homelessness.

Many predicted an eviction tsunami after the expiration of the CDC’s eviction moratorium in fall 2021. But due to the administration’s efforts to prevent evictions, including the implementation of ERA programs, eviction filings have remained below pre-pandemic levels, at roughly 60% of historic levels.

Here are some highlights of how ERA has been used:

1. State, local, and Tribal governments have made approximately 4.3 million ERA payments to eligible households as of January 2022.
2. More than 80% of ERA payments have gone to very low-income households.
3. Approximately 40% of ERA beneficiaries self-identified as Black and 20% as Hispanic.
4. Many grantees have invested ERA funds into other eviction prevention services, including housing counselors and eviction diversion.

For more on the American Rescue Plan's impact, click here.

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