Federal Emergency Rental Assistance Round 2 (ERA 2) Implementation Planning

Margaret Salazar, Executive Director

Andrea Bell, Director of Housing Stabilization

Mike Savara, Assistant Director of Homeless Services

Lauren Dressen, Emergency Rental Assistance Program Lead

Sam Kenney, Senior Policy Analyst

Emergency Rental Assistance: Context

2021 OHCS Legislative Agenda

Program Name Funding Source Dollar Amount Spending Deadline Administration

Various (locally driven programs)

2020 Coronavirus Relief Funds (CRF; Federal, allocated by legislature)

$16M carried over from 2020, awarded January 2021

Spend down deadline of 12/31/21

Community Action Agencies (CAAs)

Supporting Tenants Accessing Rental Relief (STARR)

State general funds allocated 12/21/20

$50M 6/30/2021 $50M to CAAs

Landlord Compensation FundState general funds allocated 12/21/20

$150M6/23/2021 (last date for applications)

OHCS + Public Housing Authorities

Federal Emergency Rental Assistance 1 (ERA 1)

Federal funds allocated by US Treasury January 2021

$204M9/30/21 – 65% obligated.

CAAs + Sub-recipients

Federal Emergency Rental Assistance 2 (ERA 2)

Federal funds allocated by US Treasury

$156M September 2025 Centralized Processing

Lessons Learned from Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) Rental Assistance Program

• Program design:

• 18 different programs across the state w/separate policies and procedures

• Lessons Learned:

• Decentralized design resulted in a variety of prioritization strategies

• Led to opaque service delivery and access across the state

• Difficult for clients to “find the front door”

• Reporting lags made data-driven decisions difficult

Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA 1) Program

• The Emergency Rental Assistance program made available $25 billion nationwide to assist households that are unable to pay rent and utilities due to the COVID-19 pandemic—Administered by U.S. Treasury

• Statewide, Oregon received approximately $280M in ERA dollars for 2021• Portland, metro area counties, Lane, and Marion

counties received direct allocations adding up to $76M

• OHCS received approximately $204M

ERA Program Basics

• Rental arrears + forward payment + utility assistance

• 80% AMI and below → priority for 50% AMI and below + days

unemployed

• Robust and rigorous reporting requirements

• Grantees that obligate 65% of funds by 9/30/21 will be

eligible to receive additional allocations.

• The U.S. Treasury has the option to pull back funds from

those grantees (states, localities) that fail to meet the 65%

benchmark. This is not mandatory.

Overview of ERA 1 Framework and Structure

• Centralized public portal for access and applications

• Decentralized processing based on geography

• All needed documentation captured in system

• Prioritize applications according to State and U.S.

Treasury priorities

• Build in federal reporting requirements to the

centralized system

Tenant applies to the statewide portal

OERAP Portal receives applications and then

the applications are sent to an LPA based on

geography.

CAO

CCSSD MultCo

CAPECO

CCNO

CINA

KLCAS

LCHHS

NIMPACT

MCHA

ORCCA

UCANYCAP

PPL

$ to Landlords

CSC

Allita staff are beginning processing of some applications and moving them to final review. Then LPA

staff finish the processing.

ACCESS

$ to Landlords$ to Landlords $ to Landlords

$ to Landlords

$ to Landlords

$ to Landlords

$ to Landlords$ to Landlords

$ to Landlords

$ to Landlords

$ to Landlords

$ to Landlords

$ to Landlords

$ to Landlords

$ to Landlords

MWVCAA

$ to Landlords

CAT

$ to Landlords

ERA Continuous Improvement: Key takeaways and lessons learned

• Software challenges, building training infrastructure, distinct payment processes

• Decentralized processing did not add efficiency to application processing.• Inhibited statewide continuity of program delivery

ERA Continuous Improvement: Key takeaways and lessons learned

• Bolster investments in CAAs, CSOs, and CBOs, which are critical for conducting outreach, supporting tenants, overcoming the digital divide, and sharing information.

• Implementing constant changes in guidance is difficult across a decentralized processing system. • UST has issued multiple FAQs.

• OHCS must ensure that contracts have the ability to incorporate flexibilities.

ERA 1 data driven pivots, adjustments, and actions: Building on the original structure

Original ERA 1 Processing Structure ERA 1 Current Processing Structure

• Local Program Administrators (LPAs) hire

staff to process the application in the

OERAP portal as they arrive.

• LPA processing staff

• 40 Allita processors moving applications to

Final Review in the 5 counties with the most

applications

• 20 OHCS Temporary staff

• A team of staff are poised to help

Oregonians facing eviction to start and

complete applications, including Spanish

language support

• PPL: 92 Staff to process and expedite

applications

• 71 Processors

• 7 Supervisors

• 8 Quality Assurance Analysts

• 6 Fiscal Agents

PPL PresentationRichard Albertoni, Public Partnerships LLC,

Chief Business Development Officer

Current State of ERA 1

Current State of ERA 1

Current State of ERA 1

Spending down ERA 1

• About 27,000 applications still need to be paid.

• To accomplish this, OHCS continues to maximize all allowable US Treasury flexibilities statewide.

• OHCS will be increasing the applications that will be processed by PPL.

• And, LPAs are committed to processing targets and benchmarks.

• In total, statewide processors are projected to pay 2000 to 3000 applications per week.

• At these rates, we project that the backlog could be cleared in 9 to 13 weeks.

CAPO PresentationScott Cooper, Executive Director

Neighbor Impact Community Action Agency

ERA 2

ERA 2 Optimizations

• Implement centralized application processing

• Bolster statewide investment in community engagement and tenant navigation

• Make improvements to the tenant facing component of the application software

• Maximize use of U.S. Treasury flexibilities

ERA 2 Simplified Process Workflow

Housing Stability Investments

• Investments:• Leverage large existing networks of community-based

organizations

• Work with legal aid to deliver resources to those at highest risk of eviction

• Support for fair housing counseling and training

• Culturally and linguistic specific support and outreach

• Outreach and engagement with tenant advocacy organizations

• Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault

Council Discussion