Moratorium On Rent Evictions Comes To An End, Federal Assistance Available To Renters

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Today is the day thousands of Pennsylvania residents have been dreading, with the moratorium on evictions set to come to an end.

That means landlords can start the eviction process tomorrow.

Democratic leaders scrambled to find voted to extend the moratorium beyond the July 31 deadline, but they couldn't gather enough support. A proposed renter protection bill was also rejected.

The end of the moratorium could affect the estimated more than eleven million renters who are behind on payments.

If you're one of those millions facing eviction, there's help out there if you need it.

A federal program called the Emergency Rental Assistance Program, or EREP, is a program with millions of dollars available to help renters.

Since March, Pennsylvania has been allocated $847 million to help people pay their rent and utilities if they lost their ability to pay because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The program runs on a first-come, first-serve basis, and the Wolf administration has been urging Pennsylvanians to apply all month long.

Locally in Allegheny County, the program is administered by Action Housing, a non-profit which also owns rental units.

Kyle Webster, the organization's general counsel says his agency has plenty of federal dollars to help eligible renters who need the assistance.

If you're in need, you should apply as soon as possible.

Any renter whose income is below 80% of their County's average income is eligible for assistance. In Allegheny County, that threshold for a family of four is below $66,000.

For more information on how to apply for emergency rental assistance, click here.