The Legal Aid Society welcomed news that Governor Andrew Cuomo plans to amend New York’s rent relief program by executive order to ensure that funds can reach more families in need, as reported by Spectrum News.

The state has until December 30, 2020 to distribute the remaining $60 million to New Yorkers. Only $40 million out of $100 million in rent relief funds has been distributed so far, and only 15,020 out of 94,000 people who sought relief have been approved for the program. A recently analysis by Legal Aid found that other states, including Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, and Washington State, amended their respective rent relief programs earlier this year to maximize the number of needy families eligible for relief.

“We welcome the news from Governor Cuomo that he will amend New York’s rent relief program to benefit more families in desperate need of housing assistance. However, the devil is in the details, and Albany has just weeks to recalibrate this program to ensure that $60 million in resources reaches New Yorkers facing eviction and homelessness,” said Judith Goldiner, Attorney-in-Charge of the Civil Law Reform Unit at The Legal Aid Society.