Washington State Department of Commerce
Emergency Rent Assistance Distribution

The Washington State Department of Commerce (Commerce) has been administering COVID-19 emergency rent assistance since the Summer of 2020. To administer these programs, Commerce contracts with counties. Counties work with local service providers to process applications, manage documentation and reporting, and issue financial assistance payments. The three temporary rent assistance programs currently operating are the Treasury Rent Assistance Programs 1.0 and 2.0 (T-RAP 1.0 and T-RAP 2.0) and the Eviction Rent Assistance Program 2.0 (ERAP 2.0).

These programs are part of Washington State’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Funds are intended to prevent evictions that would contribute to the spread of the virus, by paying past due, current due, future rent, and utilities, targeting limited resources to those who have experienced financial hardship due to the COVID-19 outbreak and are at risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability. For more information on these programs, visit our webpage here.