The COVID-19 pandemic created a ripple of crises, beginning with unprecedented strain on the health care sector and extending to a wave of job losses and an ensuing onslaught of evictions across the country.

The federal response to that crisis has been forceful, including a combined $46.5-billion in emergency rental assistance (ERA) under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (PDF) in December 2020 and the American Rescue Plan Act in March 2021. As states and localities risked having to reallocate any unspent resources to other jurisdictions, they faced mounting pressure to use the funds quickly and efficiently.

With this influx of unprecedented dollars for rental and utility assistance, communities have been creative in their approaches to addressing housing instability and homelessness under COVID-19. Well-funded solutions, however, are only effective if they reach the households most in need. This requires an intentional and equity-focused lens on service implementation—often a challenge in the midst of a crisis, where speed can take priority.

Now, two years out from the first wave of ERA, we have a valuable opportunity to take stock of lessons learned in implementation and ways to improve aid access in the future. In conversation with communities across the country, we found technology and language divides presented a major barrier to receiving assistance. Technology and translation support can improve targeted outreach and move us toward a truer balance between equity and speed in moments of crisis.

Communities implemented innovative solutions to bridge the digital divide

Online applications offered natural advantages to delivering ERA relief quickly and widely during the pandemic, streamlining the submission of needed documentation and facilitating the review and approval process. Online platforms also enabled administrators to monitor the status of all applications in real time and prioritize applications for follow-up.

But digital access and literacy disparities limit how much technology can help. In 2019, more than 13 million renters reported not having internet access. This group is disproportionately made up of elderly people, people of color, households with low incomes, and people in rural communities. These groups have faced varied barriers to safe and secure housing, such as high housing costs, limited transportation options, and discrimination. As a result, these renters have suffered from high rates of housing instability—making them key but potentially sidelined targets for aid.

While the Treasury Department outlined ways to simplify and streamline online templates, many of our partners cited technology-related challenges as a key barrier to ERA access for both tenants and landlords. To expedite applications, several localities relied on increased on-site support in community hubs, such as libraries, to help renters navigate the online application process. Communities also leveraged Urban tools like Emergency Rental Assistance Priority Index to target outreach to areas at highest risk of housing instability and perhaps in greatest need of additional support with the application.

Online application platforms, coupled with data-informed outreach through tools like the ERAP Index, have shown how technology can help locate, engage, and guide ERA applicants—but only when it is properly supported with added staff and other resources to strengthen equitable access and understanding.

Communities identified language barriers but had limited staffing to overcome them

Several communities also noted the importance of having application materials available in multiple languages to support non-English-speaking households. Under pressure to distribute aid, jurisdictions often defaulted to English in their outreach strategies and applications. Consequently, many potential applicants were unaware of available resources—and still others attempting to apply were unable to read or complete their applications.

In a time when limited staff capacity already hindered many communities during ERA outreach, multilingual staff were also scarce, and recruiting efforts were slow. Future programs should consider the demographics of their community members and their primary languages to promote equitable and effective outreach, and they should recruit needed staff accordingly.

How communities can better prepare for future crises

When barriers related to technology and language are addressed intentionally, communities can deliver relief more equitably and efficiently to support a wider net of people. This means proactively building out an implementation strategy that creates local resources for households facing language or technological barriers—such as installing support hubs in the community, like libraries, and providing on-site, multilingual staff. Increasing capacity on this scale can begin to bridge equity with speed during times of crisis.