Richland has $12.5M to help renters. Most aid won’t be ready before evictions resume
A COVID-19 rental assistance program designed to help Richland County tenants catch up on late rent may still leave some vulnerable to eviction because of delays in distributing those funds.
Richland County launched the Emergency Rental Assistance Program in April using a $12.5 million grant from the U.S. Treasury Department. But housing advocates say those who apply for the program often spend weeks waiting to get approved.
With a federal ban on evictions set to expire at the end of June, thousands of tenants on the verge of losing their housing may not get the help they need in time.
As of Wednesday, June 9, 2,533 households had applied to the program but only 675 had been approved, according to Richland County spokeswoman Beverly Harris.
“Some applications that have yet to be approved are still being processed,” she said. “But it’s likely some will be rejected for not being eligible based on the program requirements.”
Harris added that the nearly $4 million that had been distributed so far “demonstrates the efficiency and effectiveness” of the program. Still, she said the county does not expect the bulk of the funds to be distributed before the eviction ban expires.
“There’s a lot of rental assistance coming online and that should be enough to help,” said Joe Schottenfeld, head of the Columbia NAACP’s housing navigator program. “But of course the reality is, a lot of that is just sitting there even as landlords actively seek ways to evict people.”
Schottenfeld’s organization helps connect low-income city residents with financial aid. He identified five clients who waited a month or longer to hear back from Richland County about their application status. He suspects the problem is much more widespread.
One client who is still waiting for an answer is Stephanie High. High said she submitted an application the week of April 5 but did not hear anything until May 26, when her landlord, Bill Cantey, contacted her to say that he had been asked to submit the required documentation showing she was behind on her rent.
Though Cantey said he is willing to work with his tenants to make sure they can stay in their apartments while they wait to get the funds, High said she is still anxious about what’s to come.
“If I were to get evicted, I don’t know where I would go,” she said. “I just don’t understand. If you have the money already then help us.”
Lee Patterson, director of social work for the Richland County Library, has helped dozens of residents apply for rental assistance through a special partnership the library has with the county. She said one reason applicants may experience delays is that the county prioritizes the poorest residents — those making 50% or less of the area median income.
Even so, High said her application should not have been delayed because her earnings are under the 50% area median income threshold. After her work hours were cut in October, she has only brought home around $600 every two weeks, or roughly $15,600 a year. According to the program guidelines, individuals making under $24,450 should be granted priority status.
Even once an application gets approved, landlords may not receive the money right away.
Harris said the county mails out the checks within a week or less. But Donald Wood, executive director of the South Carolina Apartment Association, said several members of his organization have waited two weeks or more to receive the payments.
“There seems to be some kind of disconnect between how the process is supposed to work and getting the money out to the people once they actually find out they’ve been approved,” he said.
Wood said he and other landlords have experienced administrative issues that may be causing delays. For instance, he said landlords have been asked to send documents they’ve already provided, been contacted by multiple caseworkers regarding the same tenant, and even received files for the wrong tenants.
When asked about these issues, Harris said the county “responds to concerns or complaints about the [program] right away – and has contacted the apartment association.”
This story was originally published June 11, 2021 at 9:59 AM.
