In a new Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University blog post, Sam Gilman makes the case for using community income levels to help tenants get Emergency Rental Assistance. Gilman is the co-founder and COO of the COVID-19 Eviction Defense Project (CEDP). CEDP, which began as a community organizing and data project, has become a broader housing stability organization with contracts to provide ERA assistance in 62 of 64 Colorado counties. “At the current pace, it will take 16 months to expend remaining ERA funds. Using the Low-Income Community proxy (or similar reasonable proxies) will speed up rental aid distribution for families who need funds to arrive before their court dates. At scale, it could speed up a system designed to prevent millions of evictions and displacements.”