Nick Reisman reports for New York State of Politics that with the state's eviction moratorium set to expire Jan. 15, New York state officials on Jan. 11 began accepting applications for the Emergency Rental Assistance Program. The eviction moratorium was put into place because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is now worse than ever. New York extended the moratorium once, last summer, as the federal eviction moratorium ended. On Jan. 11, Gov Kathy Hochul said she was discussing with lawmakers the future of the eviction moratorium. New York officials previously asked the federal government for an additional $1 billion for the assistance program, and say they need that extra money. "Reopening the application portal without additional funding to support the backlog of existing and future applications runs the risk of giving struggling New Yorkers false hope for critical financial relief that — without federal intervention — simply doesn’t exist," said the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance. "Our appeal to the Treasury represents the latest in our continued and vigorous advocacy for tenants and landlords still reeling from the financial impact of the pandemic."