Long Islanders submit 6,650 applications for rent relief, but many more in need, data show

Long Islanders have submitted over 6,650 applications for rent relief, but more than 28,000 households are estimated to be behind on rent, according to government and private data.

Government officials and social service providers are urging tenants to apply for aid because it's one of the few protections still available, now that state and federal eviction moratoriums have been struck down by the courts. Renters will have eviction proceedings frozen while their rent relief applications are under review.

About 28,120 households on the Island are believed to be behind on rent, according to Surgo Ventures, a nonprofit focused on solving health and other social problems. But fewer than one of every four of those households appears to have submitted a rent relief application, based on data from the state and three towns independently distributing their share of New York's $2.7 billion in relief funds: Islip, Hempstead and Oyster Bay.

"People are not applying in the numbers we thought," said Thomas Maligno, who leads pro bono, public interest and public advocacy initiatives at Touro College's law center, one of several organizations that's spent months focusing on preventing displacement of renters. "It’s unprecedented for all of these agencies on Long Island to come together and work: the courts, legal aid, the law school, the private bar. So we’re trying our best."

The assistance will cover up to one year of unpaid rent and utilities — and up to three months of prospective rent — for low and middle income households struggling with rent bills because of hardship brought on by COVID-19.

There are many reasons application numbers may be lagging, according to Maligno and the Family Service League, which is helping people seek the aid. The paperwork is cumbersome, particularly for the state program, which launched with technical glitches and onerous documentation standards that have since been relaxed.

Applications require information from both landlords and tenants, who may have a hard time collaborating because of tensions over rent.

Landlords who do not have permits for rental units or who have not been paying taxes on them may be reluctant to reveal the apartments in government paperwork. Some are fed up with the situation and don't want to risk having the aid complicate or delay an eviction.

"We certainly didn't anticipate that there would be many landlords that would give up the chance to get a year's rent, but that’s what we're hearing," Maligno said.

Renters who lack official citizenship status may distrust the program, even though they can qualify for the funds.

Long Islanders may also have put off dealing with the debt because, until recently, federal and state eviction moratoriums were in place. State lawmakers planned to gather Wednesday to extend the state's moratorium until Jan. 15.

For now, putting in a rent relief application provides tenants with the most protection — and much of the funding has not been used. The state has spent $203.17 million of $2.4 billion, with about $5.94 million benefiting tenants on the Island, according to the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance. Oyster Bay has distributed about $199,400 of $15.85 million; Islip $2.01 million of $19.76 million; and Hempstead $267,100 of $45.47 million, town officials said.

Counselors and lawyers have been available to help with rent relief applications at courts in Suffolk and may soon be stationed at courts in Nassau, Maligno said. A list of organizations that can help others on Long Island is available at bit.ly/3Dw14Ui.

By Sarina Trangle

sarina.trangle@newsday.comSarinaTrangle

Sarina Trangle covers affordability and cost of living issues and other business topics. She previously worked as an editor and reporter at amNewYork.