Mahoning County officials reported that $9.4 million in U.S. Treasury emergency rental assistance (ERA) funding was distributed to households through contracts with local partners.

Anna (role: county staff) told commissioners the county received $9,400,000 in ERA funds and contracted with MyCAP, Catholic Charities and the YWCA to deliver services. "Of the $9,400,000 that was invested in our community, through the ERA $1, $5,900,000 went in direct assistance," Anna said, and later noted that ERA2 funds contributed about $2,500,000 in direct assistance.

Why it matters: ERA funds target households at risk of eviction and help stabilize low-income renters. County staff said the program focused on households earning below 30% of area median income.

Officials said 15,500 unique applications were submitted to the partners and 3,669 households received assistance through the program. Of those households, county staff said 2,783 were below 30% AMI. Anna reported $4.4 million of ERA1 funds went to rental arrears and about $1.8 million of ERA2 likewise assisted households with arrears. She said the county and its partners completed expenditures and submitted the last quarterly report after the grant end date.

What the board did: Commissioners acknowledged the report and thanked staff. No formal action was required.

Context: Anna said the YWCA handled a special-population stream for pregnant women aimed at improving infant-mortality outcomes. Anna credited local contractors with the ability to verify incomes efficiently, which she said helped the county spend the funds by the grant deadline.