BISMARCK, N.D. -- A federal eviction moratorium ends July 31, but states like North Dakota are still flush with emergency rental assistance tied to federal relief packages.

Aid groups and the state are ramping up efforts to reach anyone who might be having access issues.

This year alone, North Dakota has received $352 million from the federal government to distribute to people behind on their rent. But so far, a little more than $3 million has been used.

Rich LeMay, executive director for Legal Services of North Dakota, said there appears to be a disconnect in reaching some populations.

"We're finding people that are contacting us, haven't heard anything about rent help," LeMay explained. "To me, that speaks that there is a serious problem."

He noted lack of internet connections, email addresses or cell-phone minutes are likely factors.

The Department of Human Services cites having to wait for the Legislature to sign off on spending the aid. It's working with local agencies to set up application counseling services.

The Center for Public Integrity has reported that nationwide, a significant portion of CARES Act money last year didn't make it to renters or landlords in need.

Nikki Aden, housing stability administrator for the North Dakota Department of Human Services, said multiple factors are to blame for the federal funding still going largely unused, but agreed underserved areas face barriers in the application process.

"Folks that did struggle sometimes with getting assistance to upload documents, or turn documents to PDFs or pictures," Aden observed.

In addition to providing specialized counseling in the coming weeks, Aden pointed out they also plan to streamline the web portal to apply for aid.

With the federal eviction moratorium fast approaching, LeMay would like to see a greater sense of urgency.

"This needs to really be put in full swing if we're going to actually avoid people being evicted," LeMay urged.

He added Legal Services is devoting the bulk of its resources to connecting people with assistance or help with applications. In the past year, it has seen a 15% increase in requests for help with housing issues.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Arkansas has made some changes to its state rent relief program to make it easier to distribute assistance to residents.

The modifications, announced last week by the Department of Human Services, came after several organizations in the state sent a letter to Gov. Asa Hutchinson and other officials, raising concerns about the application process and requesting requirements to be loosened.

The state will now prioritize applicants who received eviction notices and has increased staff to process cases faster.

Bill Kopsky, executive director of the Arkansas Public Policy Panel, which signed the letter, said the move by the state is a start, but more needs to be done, especially as the Delta variant continues to surge in the state.

"We're really near the peak of our infection rate during the whole pandemic," Kopsky observed. "And it's still getting worse. This is no time to be having people being booted out of their homes and onto the street, making the public health situation even worse."

Arkansas has distributed more than $9.8 million of the $173 million it received through the federal Emergency Rental Assistance Program. Residents in need of rent relief can sign up on the state Department of Human Services' website.

In the letter to state officials, they also ask judges to not penalize tenants for landlords refusing to accept rental assistance, which has been an issue in Arkansas.

Kopsky argued the change and others to the rent-relief program are critical to help people avoid eviction.

"This is a matter of life and death," Kopsky asserted. "We need them to hire many more people; navigators, to get this stuff out there. We need them partnering with community organizations all over the state to get the information about how to apply, how to qualify, some assistance to help people apply and get the money out the door. It's really an opportunity to protect our most vulnerable."

The changes come a week after members of Congress sent a letter to five states including Arkansas urging them to immediately speed up delivery of rental assistance.

RICHMOND, Va. - Virginia has distributed a larger share of the rental funds it received than any other state in the country, and housing advocates want to see the state continue the trend with more protections for renters.

Since January, Virginia has distributed more than $300 million of its $524 million from the federal Emergency Rental Assistance Program.

Christie Marra, director of housing advocacy for the Virginia Poverty Law Center, said that's due in part to Virginia being one of the first states to set up a rental assistance program in June 2020 through the CARES Act.

"Nothing helps as much as having a rental-assistance program so that when people lose their jobs, when people have an unexpected expense, they have somewhere to turn to fill the gap and to pay their rent," she said. "No change in the law is going to do that, except having this fund continue."

Virginians in need of help paying rent can determine their eligibility and apply online on the state's Department of Housing and Community Development website.

Marra and other advocates have suggested it took being "shamed" for Virginia to become a national model for rental assistance. A 2018 report from Princeton University's Eviction Lab found five of the 10 largest cities with the highest eviction rates in the country are in Virginia. Since then, the state has enacted more safeguards for renters.

Kathryn Howell, co-director of the RVA Eviction Lab at Virginia Commonwealth University, said it's a good start, but more can be done.

"Investment in counsel - and in fact, even a right to counsel - I think could be a really powerful way of making sure those tenants who have rights know how to exercise them, because it's really hard as a tenant to know all the things," she said. "They're not experts in housing law; they're not experts in understanding eviction and what rights they have."

Virginia is receiving an additional $465 million in rental assistance through the American Rescue Plan.

SILVER SPRING, Md. -- With more than 100,000 Marylanders behind on rent, housing advocates are urging members of the General Assembly and Gov. Larry Hogan to follow the lead of other state lawmakers and extend eviction protections to prevent a looming crisis.

Maryland's safeguards ended in August, just after the Supreme Court blocked President Joe Biden's plan to expand the eviction moratorium until October.

Matthew Losak, executive director of the Montgomery County Renters Alliance, said federal rental funds have been slow to get to tenants, and only about 40% of residents in need have received it.

He thinks if the rest don't get immediate support, the impact on communities will be devastating.

"We have to think about eviction in terms of social safety net costs," Losak outlined. "In terms of increased crime, homelessness, what it means for children who have to move from school to school whose academic achievement is severely impacted."

New York and Illinois have put eviction protections in place since the Supreme Court ruling. To get help in Maryland, residents can visit the state Department of Housing and Community Development website.

Losak pointed out Maryland's working poor were hit hard by the pandemic and still are struggling to get back on their feet. In Montgomery County, the biggest county in the state, the pace of providing eviction aid is faster than in other areas.

He said in Maryland as a whole, it is not fast enough to keep up.

"We believe the capacity of the operation needs to increase in order to get aid to people early," Losak urged. "We do not understand and don't believe that it makes any sense at all to wait for people to get in crisis before you give them aid."

About 117,000 Maryland renters are behind on monthly payments, almost 20,000 in Montgomery County, according to the National Equity Atlas. People of color make up approximately 75% of Marylanders behind on rent.