Treasury claims rental assistance helped stop eviction wave

By ASHRAF KHALIL
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of households receiving emergency rental assistance has increased steadily in recent months, with no major increase in people being turned out of their homes despite the expiration of the federal eviction moratorium. Fresh numbers released Monday by the Treasury Department, which oversees the rental assistance program, showed that the number of households receiving the benefits jumped 10 percent in September — up to 510,000 households compared with 459,000 in August. The department says the number of evictions remains below historical averages.