1 of 12

CERA Program: �Update from Wayne Metro

Michael Centi – Department Director, Integration

8.17.21

​

2 of 12

CERA = COVID Emergency Rental Assistance

$622 million rental assistance program administered via MSHDA

    • Launched 3/15 out of December 2020 COVID relief bill
    • Rent, utilities, internet

​

Approx. $130 Million of Financial Assistance for Detroit residents

    • Potential to assist approx. 15-20k residents

​

Implentation Partners in Detroit

    • UCHC, THAW, Wayne Metro
    • Lakeshore Legal Aid
    • HAND, City of Detroit, 36th DC, Utility Providers

3 of 12

Last we talked…(May 18)

  • CERA was 2 months old

​

  • Huge influx of applicants (8,496 households in Detroit)

​

  • Wayne Metro had onboarded 50 staff to work on CERA Detroit

​

  • Wayne Metro had distributed $2.6 million in assistance for Detroit residents

​

​

4 of 12

CERA Applicants

In Detroit, 16,766 households have applied for CERA since 3/15

5 of 12

CERA Applicants

​

    • Approx 11,100 applicants with Wayne Metro and 5,600 applicants with UCHC

​

    • About 33% of applicants report having court cases

​

    • About 10% of applicants report utilty shutoff notices

​

    • Payment to tenant in 10% of cases

​

    • Rent + Utilities in about 85% of cases

​

6 of 12

Spending Target Progress

MSHDA has tasked the Detroit network to spend approx. $56 million by the end of September

Michigan needs to spend 65% of state allocation by 9/30 or risks losing funding to other states

7 of 12

Wayne Metro: Detroit CERA Spending YTD

$23k

$1.3M

$3.8M

$8.6M

$12.0M

$17.4M

8 of 12

Wayne Metro: 9/30 Detroit CERA Spending Goal

$23k

$1.3M

$3.8M

$8.6M

$12.0M

$22.8M

$38.5M

9 of 12

Spending in Context

Michigan: $146 million, 22,239 households

​

Wayne County: $35 million, 4,285 households

​

Detroit: $18 million (est), 2,100 households (est)

​

Per Household: $8,484 (incl. $1,370 for utilities on avg.); about 50% of HH max out assistance

10 of 12

Spending in Context – National Race

Based on Treasury Data (7/20)

Michigan is #6 in the nation* in ERA spending

​

Wayne Metro alone outranks 36 states and over 12 states combined

​

*Behind CA, TX, MA, IL, & PA

Source: https://nlihc.org/resource/new-treasury-data-show-june-uptick-era-spending-eviction-moratorium-expiration-looms

11 of 12

Program & Process Changes: Key Highlights

Enhanced Flexibility

  • Relocation/hotel assistance
  • Recertification

Rental Compliance

  • 80/20 payouts

​

Process Efficiencies

  • Zip Code proxies for Income
  • WM processing re-design
  • “Bulk” landlord processing

​

More Funds & More Staff

  • Detroit network:

$95 million to $150 million

​

  • Wayne Metro:

50 to 120 Detroit CERA staff

​

  • CERA 2.0 (ERA 2)

Eviction Moratorium Ending (?)

  • Court Coordination

​

12 of 12

For more info + navigating the online application

​

Detroit, Hamtramck, & Highland Park�(866) 313-2520

​

All Other Areas in Wayne County�(734) 284-6999

​

www.waynemetro.org/cera

www.detroitevictionhelp.com

​