The number of people at risk of housing instability has grown to unprecedented levels, with one estimate predicting between 30 million and 40 million people could be at risk of eviction in the next several months. The best way to help people avoid losing their homes is to provide rental assistance to everyone in the risk pool. But so far, federal relief packages have not responded to the extraordinary need with any kind of large-scale federal rent relief program.

Without enough rental assistance available for everyone at risk of eviction, local policymakers are left to decide how to allocate scarce resources awarded through other CARES Act programs and through public and private sources. Our partners in the Framework for an Equitable COVID-19 Homelessness Response have developed guidance on using these federal resources, particularly in helping people already experiencing homelessness.

Beyond using these funds to help people currently experiencing homelessness, communities can also use their resources to help people stay in their homes. When resources are limited, local leaders need to target rental assistance to the people most at risk of eviction and homelessness.

So how do we figure out who’s most at risk? There’s no foolproof roadmap, but these three principles can help local leaders determine how to prioritize their scarce rental assistance resources.

  1. Focus on addressing inequities
  2. Prioritize households most at risk
  3. Target resources to neighborhoods with the greatest need

Read the full article about rental assistance by Mary K. Cunningham and Samantha Batko at Urban Institute.