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County reports slow start on federal rental relief; officials urge local outreach before Sept. 30 clawback window
Summary
Grants coordinator told commissioners Utah County spent $2.6M of its $19.2M ERA allocation and highlighted documentation frictions and outreach efforts; staff urged state and local coordination to avoid federal clawback by Sept. 30.
Utah County staff reported on Sept. 1 that the county’s Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) allocation is $19.2 million and that $2.6 million has been spent from the county’s share to date. Peter Brown, grants coordinator, said the county adopted a revenue-share agreement with the state and is operating through the state portal with Community Action Services managing applicants and awards.
Brown said documentation and portal flow — particularly how and where landlords can self-attest or provide W‑9s — have hampered some applications. He noted that while national outlays were slow at first, Utah’s statewide spending rate is higher than the national average and that outreach includes billboards, Google and Facebook ads, landlord mailings tied to tax notices, university and school-district contacts, interfaith networks and food pantry partners.
Brown warned of a potential federal clawback provision: the U.S. Treasury may reallocate funds from jurisdictions that have not expended specified percentages by Sept. 30. He urged commissioners to continue supporting outreach and to coordinate with state officials on eased documentation requirements to speed payouts. Commissioners asked about W‑9 friction for tenants whose landlords lack formal w‑9s (informal basement rentals) and staff agreed to press the state on clearer or easier self-attestation options.
No vote was required; staff requested continued commission support for outreach and the ERA2 development work in coordination with the state.
