The Legal Aid Society called out the leisurely pace at which state officials are preparing to distribute more than $2 billion in COVID-19 rent relief funds, as reported by Newsday.

Despite sitting on the money for months, the state apparently remains nowhere near being ready to release the desperately-needed funds, as the applications by which New Yorkers will be able to submit their claims will not even be available until the end of May – at the earliest.

Ellen Davidson, a staff attorney with The Legal Aid Society, reflected the feelings of many struggling tenants in “wondering when the money will go out.” Compounding the frustration is the fact that other states, such as Vermont and Connecticut, already have programs up and running while New York lags far behind.

“There is $2 billion we’ve gotten from the federal government, and it’s as if it has gone into a black hole,” Davidson said. “We’re very worried that the application isn’t open yet.”