After slow start, Thurston County rent relief dollars now flowing to those in need
After a slow start, Thurston County has now spent the majority of its federal rental assistance funds.
About $18.4 million of the county’s $25 million allocation under a federal Treasury Department program has been spent, helping to plug rental debts and prevent evictions for 2,643 households since April.
Although that money has alleviated some of the need, more than 137,000 households in Washington are behind on rent, according to the most recent U.S. Census Pulse Survey. That number is trending down from over 200,000 earlier this year but continues to fluctuate.
After significant delays, the nonprofit contracted to distribute Thurston County’s federal relief money has tripled its rate of spending.
Community Action Council distributed just $4 million in the first three months of the program spanning April, May, and June. In the following three months, from July to September, they spent over $12 million, averaging around one million dollars per week.
These figures do not include funds spent in 2020.
President Joe Biden and Gov. Jay Inslee have pleaded with local governments to ramp up their distribution in recent months, as many states continue to trickle out rent relief.
Across the nation, just 17% of the $46.5 billion in rental aid funds had been spent by late September, according to the New York Times.
While Washington has fared better than other states, some counties continue to struggle.
King County’s rollout has been slow, distributing just 29% of its $145 million in rent assistance, according to the Seattle Times.
Pierce County has spent their money faster, spending 45% of their $72.4 million as of late September.
In July, Kirsten York, CEO of CAC, told the Olympian that onerous documentation requirements and a cash-flow model based on reimbursement was slowing down the process.
Those constraints are still in place. However, York said the organization has been able to pick up their pace after hiring more staff and increasing their fiscal capacity.
The state Department of Commerce previously was advising counties not to advance funds to contracted nonprofits like CAC. On Friday, a spokesperson for Commerce told The Olympian they are no longer giving that guidance and counties are free to advance funds beginning with their next contract.
According to Housing Program Manager Tom Webster, Thurston County expects to receive an additional $12 million in rent relief from the state in the coming months. That money will continue to be distributed by CAC.
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