Under Bowser’s proposed spending plan, the emergency rental assistance budget would be reduced from $68 million this year to $20 million next year. Are people who aren’t facing evacuation really abusing the system that much? Is it time to call the sheriff?
City Councilman Robert C. White, Jr. (Large Democrat), Housing Committee Chairman; I considered the question in Recent budget hearings. “What we heard from the mayor this week is that people are abusing the system. There’s no evidence of that,” White said. “There is no evidence of fraud.” In a follow-up, Mr. White told me via email: “There is no evidence of fraud.” I receive monthly updates from the Tenant Advocate on the number of evictions, and the number is increasing. Nonprofit organizations that help residents avoid evictions are overwhelmed. ”
“All the data I can find shows a real need for ERAP,” he wrote.
Laura Zeilinger, director of the D.C. Department of Human Services, which oversees ERAP, has a different perspective on the issue.she told me this In an interview this week, he said there have been several instances of individuals suspected of taking advantage of the program. Those cases are referred to DHS’ Office of Program Review, Oversight and Investigations, she said.
But Zeilinger said DHS faces a bigger challenge in ensuring that ERAP is available to the people it serves — people with severe housing emergencies. That’s not the inspector general’s job, she suggested.Rather, it depends on the program size, scope, qualification process, and Administration falls under the jurisdiction of DHS, Bowser, and the DC Council.
And the real test ultimately lies in funding and management, both of which are lacking when it comes to ERAP.
The former issue, money, is easy. During the coronavirus pandemic, the federal government has allocated unprecedented amounts of money to states and localities to help people without a roof over their heads. The district received more than $350 million to do so. The funding is a significant enhancement to the city’s $8 million pre-COVID-19 program.
But federal privileges are gone, and Zeilinger said this year the city is: It faces high demand that $20 million cannot meet. That’s the money side of this challenge.
When it comes to sound government, or the lack thereof, the DC Council must be involved.
Faced with increased demand for rental assistance and delays in disbursing federal emergency funds as the pandemic rages on in 2022, the Council passed the Emergency Rent Assistance Reform and Career Mobility Action Plan Program Establishment Amendment Act. The law provides that applicants who “fail to submit sufficient documentation or evidence” to qualify for rental assistance may instead receive an “unsworn statement that shall be deemed sufficient documentation or evidence to establish eligibility.” ” was approved to be submitted. In other words, through self-certification he could qualify for thousands of dollars in benefits from the D.C. government.
Since the self-certification law was passed, The number of ERAP applications jumped from 4,017 in fiscal year 2021 to 7,087 so far in 2024, according to DHS.
DHS officials believe the council’s legislation creates perverse incentives to receive ERAP payments. They report that the landlord informed the Department of Homeland Security that numerous tenants were behind on rent. Because they claim to have established ERAP eligibility and are awaiting city payments.
We hear that the Bowser administration is working on legislative proposals that would return the eligibility process to pre-pandemic policies that require the facts and circumstances surrounding rent arrears to be documented or otherwise established before eligibility is determined. ing.
Does that constitute abuse of the system? You can expect it. What it won’t do is eliminate the existence of low-income D.C. residents who face eviction and are behind on their rent and can’t pay it back, much less scrape together enough money to find a place to call home. .
That unfortunate reality will never go away.
White argues that ERAP is currently the most cost-effective way to keep residents housed. Cutting ERAP and forcing residents onto the streets would cost taxpayers even more, he said.
Mr White said: “The average ERAP support awarded per applicant is $5,813.61 per year. Nightly shelter costs for our short-term family housing shelters range from $224.42 to $251.54, which is a That means it costs at least $81,913.30 per year per year. Of course, this doesn’t even take into account the human suffering of the homeless and displaced.”
Of course, ERAP isn’t the only game in town. The city also has a $7 million homelessness prevention program in place for low-income households to prevent housing loss, including being behind on rent for up to four months, according to DHS.
This explains why ERAP is not a common problem for DC inspectors. Rather, it’s a question of what the city’s elected decision makers want to do for both the program and the people who depend on it.
And D.C. taxpayers need to know whether there is a consensus within government on how to address the long-standing problems of residents struggling to afford homes in this expensive city. .
