North Carolina

NLIHC has estimated a need for no less than $100 billion in emergency rental assistance and broke down the need and cost for each state (download Excel spreadsheet). 

In response to COVID-19 and its economic fallout, many cities and states are creating or expanding rental assistance programs to support individuals and families impacted by the pandemic, and NLIHC is tracking in-depth information on these programs.  

You can use the interactive map and searchable database to find state and local emergency rental assistance programs near you. You can also see the latest news on rental assistance programs through the state-by-state news tracker. Note that this is not a comprehensive list of all rental assistance programs as we continue to update frequently. If you are aware of a program not included in our database, please contact [email protected]. 

COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Programs

Across the country, homeless service providers are struggling to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to follow public health guidelines and help ensure people’s safety, some shelters are being forced to reduce services, restrict admittance, or close entirely. The loss of these critical resources puts people experiencing homelessness at even higher risk of illness. Check NLIHC's cumulative list of shelter closings.

Below is a list of shelters that have had to majorly alter services or completely close:

Many shelters in the state are either completely stopping or severely limiting new intakes in order to reduce their shelter population to something more manageable to be able to separate people.

Lucas County Commissioners and local leaders announced plans to strengthen eviction protections, including by hiring a Landlord-Tenant Services Manager. A new eviction prevention initiative will connect residents with local organizations that can provide assistance. According to the Toledo Municipal Court, nearly 1,300 evictions have been filed this year.

The Cincinnati Edition discusses how emergency rental assistance (ERA) distributed by the Cincinnati-Hamilton County Action Agency has helped families remain housed during the pandemic. The episode addresses how families will be impacted if ERA runs out in September.

The City of Toledo is receiving $19.4 million in reallocated federal emergency rental assistance funds. The city’s application portal will remain open through the end of April.

Updated on May 23, 2022

Over 3,100 renters are waiting for assistance from Wake County’s emergency rental assistance (ERA) program, with some renters having waited more than six months for aid. The program has paid 4,900 renters and denied aid to about 2,600 applicants.

Updated on May 23, 2022

Fayetteville has obligated nearly $12.5 million in emergency rental assistance (ERA) funds, with almost $10 million disbursed to help more than 2,000 households. Nearly 5,000 rental assistance applications are pending review, and residents have expressed concerns to city officials about the slow pace of distribution and the lack of communication from the program to tenants and landlords.

Updated on December 13, 2021

Evictions are on the rise in Craven County, with 2,000 households – including 2,600 children – at risk for eviction. Eviction rates in the county coupled with the lack of affordable housing are causing a shift in Craven County’s homeless population.

Updated on November 8, 2021

The Greensboro Housing Coalition is seeing an increase in the number of people seeking utility assistance. Substandard housing is partially to blame for the increase in need. The coalition is receiving about 1,400 calls for assistance each week.

Updated on October 19, 2021

The News & Observer reports a Durham landlord, Rick Soles, is refusing emergency rental assistance (ERA) from 160 tenants that have applied for aid. Soles has only completed his portion of the application for only two of the 160 tenants that have applied for ERA. Last week, Sole was the plaintiff in over 100 eviction hearings, and he told the magistrate multiple times that he is not accepting aid from the ERA program. 

Updated on October 13, 2021

Due to a large backlog of rental assistance applications, Durham County will pause accepting applications on October 4. County officials say the pause is temporary and will last until the county can determine if there are enough funds to process existing applications.
Updated on September 27, 2021

Governor Roy Cooper announced on June 29 that North Carolina’s eviction moratorium will end on July 1. Six North Carolina Republican officials voted Tuesday to end statewide eviction protections for renters starting Thursday, rejecting Cooper’s request to extend the state’s eviction moratorium by one month.
Updated on July 15, 2021

Since April 2020, the City of Charlotte has allocated $44.2 million to rent, mortgage, and utility relief and helped 11,400 households. Nearly 32,000 households, however, have applied for assistance with the majority of those denied due to documentation or eligibility issues.
Updated on June 4, 2021

NC Policy Watch reports that as North Carolina landlords exploit loopholes in the state and federal eviction moratoriums, there is a concurrent push for gentrification in communities of color. Landlords are using the expiration of a lease as an excuse to claim there was a violation, which is a permissible reason for eviction. Some landlords are refusing to accept rental assistance from the Housing Opportunities and Prevention of Evictions (HOPE) program.

Updated on April 28, 2021

Governor Roy Cooper on March 30 extended North Carolina’s statewide eviction moratorium through June 30, 2021. See this fact sheet for more information on North Carolina’s eviction moratorium.

David Bartholomew, co-director of the homeless prevention program for Pisgah Legal Services in Brevard, says North Carolina courts are not prepared for the avalanche of eviction cases that have been postponed for months. Up to 36% of renter households in North Carolina were at high risk of eviction at the beginning of the year.

WLOS reports that Pisgah Legal Services in Asheville joined NLIHC’s national letter urging the Biden administration to extend, improve, and enforce the federal eviction moratorium.

Housing advocates estimate at least 400,000 renters in North and South Carolina will be evicted when the federal eviction moratorium expires on March 31.

Updated on March 31, 2021

Mecklenburg County staff, nonprofits, and advocates moved more than 200 people residing in a Charlotte homeless encampment to hotel rooms. The hotel rooms and related services will be paid for with a combination of FEMA funding and federal coronavirus relief funds allocated to Mecklenburg County. 

Homeless advocates in North Carolina will be sending a sign-on letter to Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary of the state Department of Health and Human Services, asking for homeless shelter staff and residents to be given immediate prioritization for COVID-19 vaccination. Earlier versions of North Carolina’s vaccine distribution plan placed high priorities on homeless shelters and other congregate settings, but that plan has been updated several times, typically to align with CDC guidance. The state’s new distribution plan downgrades the prioritization of shelf staff and residents. 

Updated on March 08, 2021

On February 4, Governor Roy Cooper and the General Assembly weighed in on how to deploy the more than $4 billion in federal relief money allocated to North Carolina through the December 2020 COVID-19 relief package. Governor Cooper released his emergency supplemental budget recommendations and the General Assembly passed legislation (S.B. 36/H.B. 42) outlining how legislators would like to deploy the latest rent relief resources.

Guilford County launched an emergency rental and utility assistance program on February 8. The program is funded through $7.2 million from the U.S. Department of Treasury Funds. The county approved an additional $747,000 for the County Emergency Rental and Utilities Assistance Program, bringing the total to $8 million.

Updated on February 17, 2021

WCNC outlines the steps North Carolina tenants must take to be protected under the federal eviction moratorium. Check out this podcast from the North Carolina Housing Coalition to learn more about the moratorium and available resources for North Carolina tenants.

An estimated 485,000 adult renters in North Carolina report they are not caught up on rent, and nearly three million adults reported difficulty in paying for usual household expenses. Legal Aid of NC can help residents navigate the process of receiving protections under the state and federal eviction moratoriums.

Updated on January 25, 2021

Despite qualifying for North Carolina’s Housing Opportunities and Prevention of Evictions (HOPE) program, a tenant is facing eviction because her landlord refuses to accept rental assistance payments from the program. The Good Shepherd Center estimates that 500 other eligible HOPE applicants have faced the same issue with landlords refusing to participate in the program.

School social workers in New Hanover County are bracing for a potential surge of children experiencing homelessness when the federal eviction moratorium expires. They are urging families to know their rights under the McKinney-Vento Act.

Eviction filings are on the rise in Mecklenburg County as federal stimulus programs are set to expire this month. Through the end of November, nearly 87,000 summary ejection complaints have been filed across North Carolina in civil district and civil magistrate courts this year. About a quarter of the approximately 8,000 eviction cases pending in North Carolina this fall were in Mecklenburg County.

Updated on January 15, 2021

PACEM, a group that sets up temporary lodgings in various churches in Charlottesville and around Albemarle County during the winter months, is adjusting to the pandemic’s impact on shelter space. While the pandemic has required the organization to reduce its capacity, local hotels are being used as non-congregate shelters for people experiencing homelessness.

Updated on December 9, 2020

Legal Aid of North Carolina is suing state and county court officials for reportedly ordering the eviction of tenants who should have been protected under the CDC’s eviction moratorium.

The Mountaineer discusses North Carolina’s looming eviction crisis. The state’s nearly $170 million rental assistance program that launched about a month ago has already run out of funds. Officials announced on November 11 that the rental assistance program is now closed.

Updated on November 30, 2020

The city of Asheville will allocate nearly $900,000 in COVID-19 relief funds toward stopping evictions and helping residents impacted by the pandemic pay their rent. 

A story co-published by NC Health News, the Charlotte Post, and the Charlotte Observer finds that housing instability poses an even greater risk for personal and community health during the pandemic. The article examines the connection between Charlotte’s affordable housing crisis and the pandemic’s disproportionate impact on people of color.

Updated on November 17, 2020

The Asheville Citizen-Times reports the city will seek an additional $890,000 in federal CARES Act funds to prevent evictions and homelessness. There were 42 evictions in Asheville and the rest of Buncombe County in September, the highest since the pandemic’s start. While Governor Roy Cooper extended the statewide eviction moratorium, Asheville hopes to use CARES Act funds to keep renters housed when the moratorium ends. 

Updated on November 10, 2020

Governor Roy Cooper on October 28 issued Executive Order No. 171 to strengthen eviction protections by requiring landlords to make tenants aware of their rights under the CDC order. The executive order clarifies the CDC moratorium applies to all residents who meet the CDC’s eligibility criteria, regardless of whether they live in federally-subsidized properties. The order also ensures recipients of the N.C. Housing Opportunities and Prevention of Evictions (HOPE) program can still qualify for the protections. 

Updated on November 4, 2020

Since North Carolina’s emergency rental and utility assistance program opened on October 15, over 11,000 people have applied for aid, with over 9,100 being eligible for assistance (as of October 20). The Housing Opportunities and Preventing Evictions (HOPE) program utilizes $117 million in federal CARES Act resources.

Updated on October 26, 2020

Governor Roy Cooper’s administration expects the state’s rental and utility assistance program to open next week. Approximately $94 million will support rent and utility payments, and another $53 million will help families experiencing homelessness or facing immediate risk of homelessness. An additional $28 million will be administered by local governments to help pay rent and utility bills, food distribution, internet access, virus testing, and other approved spending categories.

Forsyth County Court Clerk Renita Linville will make changes to eviction procedures, including extending the gap in the scheduling of eviction hearings and encouraging landlords to take advantage of mediation in disputes with tenants.

Updated on October 14, 2020

North Carolina landlords filed evictions against more than 18,000 tenants in the two-month gap between the state moratorium, which expired June 23, and the CDC moratoriums.

Updated on October 5, 2020

A Lee County magistrate wrongfully rejected a Sanford renter’s signed CDC declaration, arguing the federal moratorium does not apply to her because she does not live in federally subsidized housing. The individual, however, is protected by the moratorium.

The North Carolina Housing Coalition details where and how Community Development Block Grant – Coronavirus (CDBG-CV) funds are being deployed across the state. North Carolina will be receiving an additional $46.8 million in the third and final tranche of CDBG-CV funds.

The Asheville Citizen Times compiled a list of rental assistance programs for struggling tenants in Buncombe County.

Updated on September 29, 2020

Pisgah Legal Services, a nonprofit that provides free, civil legal aid in Western North Carolina, told the Citizen Times the CDC moratorium is a “welcome step forward,” but it will not solve the eviction crisis.

Updated on September 22, 2020

Legal aid and housing advocates in North Carolina discuss the urgent need for rental assistance alongside the national eviction moratorium. “Freezing the evictions is great, but unless there’s some type of financial support rental assistance… to bring people current, it’s extending the cliff,” said Isaac Sturgill, who leads the housing division of Legal Aid of North Carolina in Charlotte. 

While the national moratorium provides short-term relief for North Carolina renters, it does not provide any financial relief for tenants, landlords, or property managers. “Without additional support from either the federal government, state government, or local government, this essential just pushes the financial problem down the road,” says Pamela Atwood, director of housing policy for the North Carolina Housing Coalition. 

Updated on September 15, 2020

The coronavirus pandemic is exacerbating the cost burdens that Buncombe County residents struggled with before the public health and economic crises. Clerk of Court Steve Cogburn said there have been 184 eviction filings due to nonpayment since court hearings resumed in Buncombe County on June 22. 

Updated on September 10, 2020.

Governor Roy Cooper announced $175 million to help North Carolinians with rental and utility support. The state’s Community Development Block Grant – Coronavirus (CDBG-CV), Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG-CV), and Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) will support three programs to help people avoid eviction.

FEMA denied funding on August 24 for the Trillium Hotels for Health Program, leaving nearly 150 people in North Carolina at risk of losing their temporary shelter the following day. The program, however, announced on August 25 it secured enough funds to house people for an additional week. A FEMA spokesperson says Trillium, the crisis agency that runs the program, was deemed ineligible because it did not have the legal responsibility to provide shelter for people experiencing homelessness.

Updated on September 2, 2020.

An article in the Progressive Pulse argues that the coronavirus pandemic offers an opportunity for North Carolina to recognize housing as a human right and ensure that affordable housing is available to everyone.

Updated on August 25, 2020.

Physical evictions and eviction hearings resumed last week in Mecklenburg County, with magistrates working their way through 600 eviction cases in just one week. Federal and local COVID-19 rent relief programs have helped the county stave off evictions in about half of the eviction cases.

Evictions have resumed in Mecklenburg County and millions of workers will lose the supplemental federal unemployment benefits at the end of this month, creating the potential for widespread financial hardship and inability to pay rent across Charlotte.

Updated on August 4, 2020.

“Even with extended unemployment, North Carolina would benefit greatly from a federal rental and utility assistance package,” wrote Governor Roy Cooper in a letter to Congress outlining his policy priorities for the next coronavirus relief package. Governor Cooper also asked Congress to urge FEMA to provide 100% federal reimbursement for non-federal cost share for state and local costs of responding to COVID, robust and flexible dollars to state and local governments, and other priorities. 

Updated on July 28, 2020.

Eviction hearings resumed June 22 in Buncombe County, and housing advocates in Asheville are concerned that there will be a sharp rise in homelessness in the coming months without significant state and federal intervention. While the Asheville City Council is preparing to vote on allocating funds toward rental assistance, the funds will be insufficient to meet the demand for assistance. 

Updated on July 20, 2020.

The Wake County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to appropriate an additional $1.7 million in federal coronavirus relief funds for eviction prevention. This funding will fund part of Phase II of the House Wake! strategic plan. “This effort is part of our long-term goal to move as many people as possible into a secure and stable housing situation,” said Wake County Commissioner Sig Hutchinson.

Durham County’s COVID-19 housing contract with a hotel temporarily sheltering people experiencing homelessness expires on July 9, and new shelter guidelines to accommodate social distancing may strain Durham’s shelters.

Updated on July 13, 2020.

Roof Above, an organization that serves men experiencing homelessness, will temporarily close the Statesville Avenue Emergency Shelter on July 2 and open a 130-bed shelter inside a motel. The temporary move will limit the spread of the coronavirus.

Updated on July 7, 2020.

A homeless organization in Jackson County is working to prevent a surge in homelessness by recruiting landlords and prioritizing rehousing efforts.

Updated on June 12, 2020.

North Carolina advocates are calling on local, state, and federal officials to provide rental assistance as the Guilford County Sherriff’s Office resumes serving eviction notices after the 10-week moratorium.

An article in the Spectrum News examines the pandemic’s impact on homelessness in Charlotte. Although tent encampments existed before COVID-19, they are more accepted now. Advocates, like the Urban Ministry Center, are concerned about how to ensure that people experiencing homelessness can access safe, affordable housing after the acute crisis ends. Read more about the Urban Ministry’s efforts during COVID-19.

Wake County commissioners approved $2 million in Coronavirus Relief Funds to prevent evictions and homelessness, but the county is asking to use more of its $5 million share for housing. 

Guilford County, NC plans to isolate or quarantine in a hotel all homeless people who show symptoms of or have tested positive for COVID. The state will work with local hospitality groups to provide more than 16,500 units of individual housing in dormitories, hotels, trailers or other spaces. The federal government, through FEMA, will pay 75% of the costs associated with the program.

Charlotte

Using a $500,000 grant from the Charlotte COVID-19 Response Fund, an organization called Socialserve has distributed critical rental assistance to low-income households impacted by the pandemic. Socialserve collaborated with Charlotte Mecklenburg Housing Partnership to distribute $429,000 in rental assistance for 330 renter households. They also helped 30 individuals experiencing homelessness to secure housing by paying $45,000 in upfront housing costs.

Updated on June 29, 2020.

Mecklenburg County

Supportive Housing Communities, an organization that provides affordable housing and support services to people experiencing homelessness in Mecklenburg County, has provided rent and utility assistance for 31 households and mental health counseling for 18 households since the beginning of the pandemic.

Updated on June 22, 2020.

North Carolina has released interim guidance for homeless shelters in the area. The document includes planning, prevention, and recommendations if coronavirus cases were to occur. 

Federal, state, and local eviction moratoriums are rapidly expiring and the CARES Act supplemental unemployment benefits will end soon; at that time, millions of low-income renters will be at risk of losing their homes. The NLIHC estimates at least $100 billion in emergency rental assistance is needed to keep low-income renters stably housed during and after the pandemic. This tracker links to news reports of the growing evictions crisis in various cities and states. Check NLIHC's cumulative list of eviction updates.

Over 700,000 North Carolinians will be at risk for eviction soon after all government moratoriums and extensions on rent payments expire on Monday.

Updated on August 28, 2020.

Evictions are starting to pick up and the CARES Act moratorium has ended. And, so, you can be evicted says Pisgah Legal Services attorney David Bartholomew.

Updated: August 12

Governor's executive order prohibiting evictions for non-payment of rent expired June 21, but grants tenants 6 months from the expiration to pay back accrued rents. On June 30, the governor issued a separate order lifted allowing sheriff's offices to carry out writs of possession, the physical task of removing people from their homes during an eviction.  Eviction cases are being conducted remotely and in person. 

Updated: July 31

In the third week of July, 23% of adults in North Carolina reported they had missed their previous housing payment or had little confidence they would make their next one on time, according to a weekly survey conducted by the Census. In the same survey, 315,157 renters reported they had not paid their previous rental payment.

When the eviction moratorium expired in North Carolina on June 21, there were over 10,000 evictions pending. 

Updated: July 29

After the eviction moratorium expired on June 21, landlords filed over 2,000 eviction cases statewide in April and May alone. The order preventing sheriffs from carrying out writs of possession, the physical task of removing people from their homes during an eviction, expired on June 30th. According to a weekly survey by the Census, 1 in 4 adults in the state either missed their last housing payment or have little/no confidence of being able to make next month’s housing payment.

Updated: July 16