Sarasota and Manatee counties pause federal Emergency Rental Assistance program

Sarasota and Manatee counties have paused taking new applications for Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) – federal relief programs that have helped thousands of local households stay afloat as the pandemic gave way to a major housing crisis.

Sarasota County’s temporary stop on new applications began Monday, while on Wednesday the county halted all additional payments to applicants who had already been approved.

The reason, officials said, stemmed from a notice received late last week from the U.S. Treasury Department denying the county’s request for its next portion of emergency rental assistance funds.

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The county was forced to resubmit the request – something it initially had sent on Aug. 16, said Laurel Varnell, the county’s emergency rental assistance program manager.

“We are hopeful to be back up and running as soon as we can,” she said.  “While we’re disappointed, we don’t believe this is the end of the road. We are exploring all options to gain access to additional funding for our community.”

A spokesperson with the U.S. Treasury Department could not be reached for comment.

Sarasota County distributed $13.1 million from the first phase of ERA over the past year. Residents could use those funds toward up to 15 months of rent to get back on their feet as job losses and illnesses from the pandemic were followed by skyrocketing increases in housing costs.

In the second phase of ERA, the county was granted another $10 million, money that could be applied to up to 18 months of rent.

Of that $10 million allotment, more than $4 million was disbursed or spent by the middle of this week. The county was awaiting another $2 million from that pot when everything ground to a halt.

So far 1,070 households in Sarasota have been helped by the ERA programs, Varnell said.

Manatee County pauses to process emergency rental assistance

In Manatee County,1,364 families have been assisted by ERA.

Manatee’s program also has been paused, at the end of August, but for different reasons.

In Manatee’s case, it has spent or committed all of its latest ERA funds through applications currently in the pipeline, said Lee Washington, director of community and veteran services, the department overseeing the program.

The county wanted to process those remaining applications before asking for the next share of its allotted ERA monies, Washington added. On Wednesday, his department did just that – contacting Treasury to begin the application for another round of funds.

Washington hopes that in about a month the additional federal rental assistance will be in place and that Manatee County will begin accepting new applications once more.

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“It’s a huge undertaking,” he said. “We want to make sure those who need it are getting it. We don’t want to be pushing out dollars in the community and then have to go back out to residents and ask for it to be returned.”

Manatee County has already spent more than $12 million from the first phase of ERA. The county was approved for more than $9.6 million for the second phase, which is distributed to counties in stages or batches.

It is from that money that Manatee is currently paying down an initial batch of $3.8 million to applicants.

Housing ambassadors remain in place

During the pause on new applications, both counties are keeping their ERA “ambassadors” in area libraries and other community sites to help residents with housing resources and, in Manatee’s case, to finalize applications in the pipeline.

What’s more, the United Way Suncoast has committed $3 million to fund the hiring of “navigators” at area nonprofits to help do the same.

Those navigators also will remain in place for now to assist residents in the housing crisis.

“United Way Suncoast has and will continue to work with local officials to help community members find solutions,” said Doug Griesenauer, United Way Suncoast senior director, workforce development and financial stability. “We stand ready to assist county officials and do all we can to ease the burden on homeowners and renters.”

Phil Heller is one of the navigators hired through the United Way Suncoast grant – brought onboard at Gulfcoast Legal Services in South Venice earlier this year.

A retired lawyer, Heller has seen a steady stream of residents come to the office from all parts of the county seeking his help.

“It’s constant, constant,” Heller said. “There is not enough affordable housing, and what’s available in housing is not affordable.”

If it continues too long, the pause from the federal Emergency Rental Assistance will be “pretty devastating for some folks,” he said referring to skyrocketing rents that are displacing families, seniors and working individuals.

“It’s a real crisis.”

For more information, visit the Sarasota County Emergency Rental Assistance website or the Manatee County Emergency Rental Assistance website.

This story comes from a partnership between the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. Saundra Amrhein covers the Season of Sharing campaign, along with issues surrounding housing, utilities, child care and transportation in the area. She can be reached at samrhein@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota and Manatee pause federal Emergency Rental Assistance program