MILWAUKEE — A pandemic-era program that was a lifeline for people struggling to pay rent is coming to an end in Milwaukee County.
The Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) fund was funded by the federal government. Milwaukee County has spent about $70 million of what it was allocated since 2021. Just $8 million remains.
"It is for households that were experiencing hardships during the pandemic," said Community Advocates CEO Andi Elliot. "From everybody that got sick, we have people that are experiencing long COVID, employers that shut down."
Community Advocates was a partner with the county in administrating the funds.
The county said the funds have helped 12,000 households avoid eviction. Elliot called the program life-saving.
"It really saves a lot of people from the hardship of going through an eviction and trying to relocate," she said.
However, as the fund runs out the county said it will pause applications on June 20. That's just one week away.
"The reason for the pause is so that we can review all of the applications that are currently in our system," Elliot explained. "Making sure we get all of those wrapped up, then getting those paid out, then we'll see if there are any funds that are left over."
Renters can still apply for funds through the end of the day on June 20. You can apply online by clicking here or you can apply in person at Community Advocates downtown. Keep in mind Community Advocates will be closed on June 19 for Juneteenth.
If funds are left over, the application process will reopen. But Elliot said funds will be gone by the end of the year, if not sooner.
Elliot said there are not a lot of other financial resources available for renters. However, the Rental Housing Resource Center at Community Advocates can help tenants and landlords reach agreements.
"It's working through tenancy issues. It could be working through payment plans," Elliot gave as an example.
At the height of the pandemic, Elliot said they were receiving about 300 assistance applications per week. That number is down to 50. But even though there's less need overall, the funds are still very much critical for families applying.
"The fear is that evictions are going to skyrocket," Elliot said. "I think that the worse thing a family can experience is having an eviction filed because then it makes things more difficult to move into another place."
Elliot said now is the time for people to be proactive about their home circumstances.
"My advice would be looking at your current situation and thinking about it now. This is maybe the time that you need to move on to something that's a little bit more affordable," she said.
Community advocates are also working with the National Low Income Housing Coalition to look into possibilities for more permanent rent assistance programs in the future.
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