State policy variation and emergency rental assistance take-up during the COVID-19 pandemic

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.