Greensboro has formally closed out its Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) Program, a pandemic-era initiative that provided rental relief using federal funds beginning in 2021. Over the course of the program, city administrators allocated more than $19 million to prevent evictions and bring past-due rent current for more than 3,000 households across Greensboro and Guilford County.

The program’s scale reflected a sustained need for housing support even as public-health conditions eased. City supportive housing analyst Liz Alverson noted that demand for aid remained steady through the later stages of the pandemic response and that the city is planning to target future assistance to residents who are most vulnerable. Those efforts, Alverson said, will frequently be paired with connections to physical and mental health services to address underlying barriers to housing stability.

Officials involved with the ERA effort credit the program with reducing immediate displacement for thousands of families and individuals. For local residents, the financial assistance helped blunt the pandemic’s economic shocks that, without intervention, would have increased evictions, emergency shelter use, and housing instability. Landlords and property managers also saw short-term relief in lost rental income, contributing to neighborhood stability and continuity for tenants and small landlords alike.

As the city transitions away from the broad ERA framework, its stated emphasis is on a more targeted, integrated approach. By aligning rental assistance with case management and health supports, Greensboro aims to address the complex needs of households at greatest risk of homelessness or repeated housing crises. This reflects a broader shift from emergency, large-scale disbursement toward integrated local services that combine financial aid with social and medical supports.

The program’s conclusion raises questions for residents and service providers about long-term housing security, especially for households still recovering economically. Community organizations and local advocates will likely be engaged in shaping how future resources are prioritized and how connections to health and social services are expanded. For municipal leaders, the close of the ERA program marks a moment to assess outcomes, identify remaining gaps, and refine strategies to prevent eviction and support vulnerable families.

Greensboro’s experience mirrors the challenges faced by many jurisdictions as pandemic-era emergency programs wind down: balancing finite federal resources, persistent need, and the desire to build durable local systems that promote housing stability and well-being. The city’s stated intent to concentrate future aid on the most vulnerable and to strengthen links to mental and physical health services signals a policy direction that privileges targeted support and cross-sector collaboration.