Wyoming’s ERAP Lags Behind in Finding Housing for Homeless People

Because the Emergency Rental Help Program started in Wyoming on the finish of April 2021, it has dolled out over $30 million, principally to landlords, to assist folks struggling to pay hire due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ERAP additionally contains letters of intent (LOI), began by the Division of Household Providers (DFS) firstly of 2022, and permits homeless folks to present the letter to landlords displaying DFS will have the ability to cowl their hire for the following three months a minimum of.

Whereas 1,231 LOIs have been given out, solely 233 of these folks have been capable of finding housing.

Of these which have been given out, 431 have expired, because the LOIs are solely good for 3 months, with solely 17 folks resubmitting after the expiration date.

Kristie Arneson, a Senior Administrator with the DFS, mentioned that there are a selection of explanation why few of the folks given LOIs have discovered homes.

“I feel we did not do an excellent job when the letters of intent rolled out, offering training and making certain that the owner’s neighborhood was conscious of what that was,” Arneson mentioned. “I do not need to communicate for landlords, I feel in some situations throughout the state there are areas that we all know housing’s simply troublesome to search out. Whether or not due to how a lot it’s or not out there. There’s loads of communities across the state the place there is a scarcity…I feel we have now heard that there is a potential concern that when, somebody’s eligible for 18 months after that then there is no such thing as a extra help from this program…as soon as an individual would possibly exhaust this program or as soon as the funding does finish, the hope is the tenants are in a position to pay their hire. However I do know that may be a concern throughout the board.”

All through March and April, the DFS held city corridor conferences for landlords to attend and supply suggestions concerning the ERAP and the LOIs, and in whole, that they had 257 folks attend, although it’s unclear what number of of these could have been repeated attendance.

From these city halls, they have been in a position to get emails of landlords to get an inventory of the folks they might attain out to for each ERAP and the LOIs.

Arneson mentioned she hasn’t heard of any landlords denying folks housing from an LOI as a result of the help will run out, however that there’s some concern amongst landlords whether or not or not tenants will have the ability to pay after the help runs out.

“I do not know the way actual it’s,” Arneson mentioned. “I do know that in our city halls that our landlords have been nothing however seeming like they’re wanting to assist both the tenants they have already got or potential tenants. However I additionally know it’s a enterprise for them as nicely.”