Lawmakers demand answers on New York rent relief rollout

ALBANY, N.Y. — State officials say it will be weeks before New York issues any payments from the state’s $2.4 billion COVID-19 rent relief fund, adding to delays in a program that has been beset by technical glitches with its online application portal.

At least 1.1 million New York households that rent have at least one family member who was economically impacted by the pandemic.

New York launched an online application portal June 1 and said it'd take four to six weeks to process applications.

Agency spokesperson Anthony Farmer said Tuesday that first payments are “expected to go out in the coming weeks.”