When the National Eviction Moratorium ended on July 31, the staff in the homeless services department braced for what would come next.
At Third Street Alliance, what came next was a flurry of applications for Emergency Rental Assistance, and an influx of new families in the shelter. Between Aug. 4 and Sept. 15, more than 90 families and individuals applied for more than $500,000 of assistance through Third Street Alliance. At that same time, more than $400,000 was paid to landlords.
While some states and areas have been slow in disbursing their Emergency Rental Assistance Program monies, Third Street Alliance has been processing each request as quickly as possible. As long as all the information is submitted together, a landlord can receive the check within 14 to 30 days.
Pennsylvania received about $569 million in federal money for rental assistance, according to the commonwealth’s Department of Human Services. Northampton County received a little more than $9 million and has processed more than 70 percent of these funds.
Third Street Alliance has distributed almost $3 million, serving more than 600 families across the county, since January. Some tenants/landlords can receive up to 18 months of back-rent. New Bethany Ministries, ProJeCt of Easton, and the Easton Area Neighborhood Center are also distributing money in the county.
For those who find themselves homeless or at risk of homelessness call 211 to go through the Coordinated Entry process.
