Fresno City Hall image via wikipedia user Nightryder84

Note: This story was updated to include the City’s efforts to inform tenants and landlords as well as the total amount in emergency rental assistance.

The Covid-era rental assistance that was a lifeline for Fresno residents appears to be winding down — with some saying the City of Fresno isn’t spreading the word about the program’s end.

With $69 million in state and federal dollars available to qualified applicants unable to pay total rent and utilities since April 1, 2020, the funds are drawing down and no more is anticipated, according to the mayor’s office. Of that amount, roughly $60 million has been spent. Over 5,700 families have received assistance from the City of Fresno.

“At this time, we have no indication that the federal or state government will be issuing any additional funding,” according to Sontaya Rose, director of communications with Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer’s administration.

In the final stages of the program, tenants who are behind on rent and those not previously funded receive priority status. Rose said renters seeking to continue the program or submitting new applications that do not meet the new criteria are notified and put on a waitlist.

Tenants and landlords who had a current application in the system were notified that due to a high volume of applications and limited resources, applications for additional assistance would be put on a waitlist as the focus shifted to those who have not received any assistance, a statement from Rose read.

New applicants were informed that funding is not guaranteed.

Social media chatter over the last couple of months says enrollees in the program were not told rental assistance was ending.

City of Fresno officials took to social media to get renters to enroll when the program launched in March 2021. Messaging about the program’s sunset was harder to find on the same platforms.

Sandra Flores, CEO with Reading and Beyond, which has been assisting the City of Fresno in distributing rental assistance, said they still have $1 million available based on data from last week. They hope to have it all spent by the end of December, she said.

A total of five nonprofit organizations were selected through a request for proposals to help process rental assistance payments. They would get an amount of money and distribute it, Flores said.

When asked if renters were informed about the availability of funding, Flores said Reading and Beyond is not the communication arm of the City and that all questions should be directed to the City Hall. She said her organization follows guidelines as set forth. She would not say whether her team has begun implementing the City’s prioritization for people who have not yet received assistance.

The Jakara Movement was another organization that helped process applications. Funding for them wrapped up a month ago, according to Executive Director Naindeep Singh.

“The City of Fresno did work to advertise and make residents aware of the ERAP program. However as it sunsets, many residents are only learning through word of mouth or as agencies begin refusing the continuation of services,” Singh said in a statement.