The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated housing insecurity for millions of low- and moderate-income renters. The most recent Census Bureau survey estimates that roughly 7 million renters have fallen behind on rent, with debts averaging $5,400 per household.

In addition to general financial support such as stimulus checks and expanded unemployment insurance, the federal government has employed two primary strategies to help stabilize renters. In September 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ordered a temporary nationwide moratorium on evictions, to reduce the public health risks of forcing people to move during the pandemic. (The Biden administration has extended the moratorium to June 30, although legal challenges have created uncertainty about how much longer it will last.) The federal government has also allocated an unprecedented amount of funding that state and local governments can use for emergency rent relief programs. December 2020’s COVID-19 relief bill included $25 billion in rent relief, and March’s American Rescue Plan Act offered an additional $22 billion.

As these programs have unfolded over the past year, we have learned several lessons about how their design and implementation influence their effectiveness.

Like all U.S. housing subsidies, there isn’t enough COVID-19 rent relief money to help everyone in need. Federal rules provide some broad guidelines for who is eligible to receive rental assistance, but state and local policymakers also have some flexibility. Some programs have chosen to prioritize very poor renters (households earning less than 50% of area median income), while others have limited aid to those who are not receiving other forms of assistance (including unemployment insurance benefits).

Read the full article about rent relief programs by Jenny Schuetz at Brookings.