Update on Closeout Information for ERA1 Awards

Dear Tribal Leader,

I am writing today with some initial closeout information regarding your Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA1) award. Per the ERA1 statute and the ERA1 Award Terms, the period of performance for ERA1 awards ends on September 30, 2022 (except in the limited case of reallocated funds addressed below).

Period of Performance and Prospective Assistance

Under the ERA1 statute, Treasury’s ERA1 Award Terms, and the Uniform Guidance, ERA1 award funds remains available to provide financial assistance and housing stability services to eligible households only through September 30, 2022.  This means that financial assistance payments may cover only rent, utility and home energy expenses, rental or utility and home energy costs arrears, or other expenses related to housing arising before that date—an ERA1 grantee may not provide prospective rental or utility assistance, or cover costs for other expenses related to housing for any period beyond September 30, 2022. Likewise, ERA1 grantees may not cover costs for housing stability services for any period beyond September 30, 2022.

Through the end of June, ERA1 grantees may approve applications covering up to three months of prospective assistance (covering July, August, and September) pursuant to FAQ 10.  After that, grantees must ensure that any rental or utility costs funded with ERA1 award funds will be provided by September 30, 2022.

ERA1 grantees may provide assistance for rental and utilities arrearages incurred up to the end of the performance period, September 30, 2022.

Per the ERA1 statute, Treasury may extend the period of performance to December 29, 2022 for ERA1 award funds received through reallocation.  We plan to reach out with more information about such an extension in the coming months, but the period of performance for each grantee’s initial ERA1 allocation will end on September 30, 2022 regardless of any extension for reallocated funds.

Closeout Timing and Upcoming Guidance

We can also share with you some initial information about timing related to closeout activities.  ERA1 grantees have a closeout period after the period of performance on the ERA1 award ends on September 30, 2022 (or December 29, 2022 for award funds received through reallocation upon the grant of an extension). Pursuant to 2 CFR 200.344(a), grantees must submit all final financial, performance, and other reports as required by the ERA1 Award Terms no later than 120 calendar days after the end date of the period of performance. Grantees may only charge administrative costs to the ERA1 award after September 30, 2022 (or December 29, 2022 for reallocated funds upon the grant of an extension) for award closeout activities, such as preparation of final financial and performance reports. Additional closeout guidance is currently in the process of being developed and will be made available to all grantees as soon as it is approved and published.

If an ERA1 grantee is working with subrecipients, the subrecipients must also use their ERA1 award funds by end of the period of performance on the ERA1 award, September 30, 2022.  Pursuant to 2 CFR 200.101(b)(2), the grantee’s ERA1 Award Terms flow to its subrecipients, including the requirement to use all the ERA1 award funds by the end of the period of performance. Subrecipients must submit all their final financial, performance, and other reports to the ERA grantees no later than 90 calendar days (or an earlier date as agreed upon by the ERA grantee and subrecipients) after the end date of the period of performance (see 2 CFR 200.344(a)). 

Prior to closeout, the Grantee Monitoring team will be conduct compliance reviews of grantees’ quarterly reports to ensure the grantees have complied with relevant program guidance and there aren’t any open items needed.  Treasury will release closeout guidance and procedures in the coming months.

For questions, please email the ERA Team at emergencyrentalassistance@treasury.gov, and include your ERA1 grantee number in the subject line.

Sincerely,

Emergency Rental Assistance Program
U.S. Department of the Treasury