State policy variation and emergency rental assistance take-up during the Covid-19 pandemic
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21558096 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Vincent Fusaro (0000-0002-2238-4434, Boston College), Christopher Baidoo (0009-0009-1686-0869, Boston College), K Megan Collier (0000-0001-9479-9949, Boston College), Naoka Carey (0000-0003-1618-9445, Boston College), R L Coley (0000-0001-7172-061X, Boston College, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-17 |
| Publication date | 2026-06-23 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Urban Affairs (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0735-2166 • E-ISSN: 1467-9906 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/07352166.2026.2678884 |
| PMID | 42643963 |
| OpenAlex | W7165629185 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 22 |
The COVID-19 pandemic threatened to exacerbate an existing U.S. rental housing affordability crisis. In response, the federal government implemented the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERA), transferring nearly $47 billion to state and local governments to provide financial assistance to vulnerable renter households. Programs varied in several dimensions, including in novel policies, such as the use of self-attestation and proxies in lieu of documentation in applications. We merge household microdata from the Household Pulse Survey with data from state-level ERA programs to examine the relationship between policy variation and take-up of assistance. Using sequential logit models, we consider participation in a series of stages (application, decision, and receipt). Policies aimed at reducing administrative burdens and policies prioritizing specific groups were associated with increased likelihood of applications for and receipt of assistance, especially for the lowest-income households. Findings aid in understanding the unique policy regime of the pandemic and identify promising practices for post-pandemic assistance
Government (linguistics) · Legislature · Logit · Merge (version control) · Microdata (statistics) · Pandemic · Public policy · Receipt · Renting · Housing Market and Economics · Housing, Finance, and Neoliberalism · Urban, Neighborhood, and Segregation Studies
Shelter From the Storm
Gender Marker Laws and Access to Emergency Rental Assistance for Transgender Renters in the United States During Covid-19
Covid-19 Housing Policy
Protecting the Most Vulnerable
The Effects of Administrative Burden on Program Equity and Performance
Administrative Burdens in Emergency Rental Assistance Programs
The K-Shaped Recovery
Did Emergency Rental Assistance Support Housing Stability During the Covid-19 Pandemic? Differential Effects Across Risk Strata
Evading the eviction moratorium
Housing as a Determinant of Covid-19 Inequities
The Impending Eviction Cliff
Shifting Administrative Burden to the State
Administrative Burden
Reforming Housing Assistance
The Risks of Renting on the Margins
Not All Transitions Are Equal
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |