The Department of Housing and Urban Development is doubling the size of its eviction protection program, designed to fund legal assistance for tenants seeking to stay in their homes.
The $20 million HUD grant, announced Monday, will not provide any sort of direct rental relief; instead, it will fund legal services and representations for families facing eviction. The funds will be distributed through the Eviction Protection Grant Program to 11 nonprofit organizations and government entities, with grants ranging from $1 million to $2.4 million. Recipients of the fresh wave of funding include Pine Tree Legal Assistance of Portland, Maine, and the city of San Antonio, Texas.
HUD launched the Eviction Protection Grant Program last November, with an original $20 million awarded to 10 legal service providers.
HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge described the new funding as a doubling down on a proven method of easing the financial damage wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic.
