More than 16.5% of the tens of billions of dollars in federal rental assistance reached tenants last month, compared with 11% in July. The latest data from the department, which oversees the program, also found that states and cities that were slow to get their programs off the ground are now sending tens of millions of dollars out the door.

The pandemic has battered Los Angeles renters, and a new wave of pain is coming: The state’s moratorium on evictions is ending Sept. 30. But this housing crisis doesn’t have to turn into a new homelessness crisis.

Californians struggling to pay rent amid the coronavirus pandemic may miss out on emergency rental assistance if the state, counties and cities don’t obligate millions of dollars by the end of September.

A state law gives California workers as much as two weeks additional paid sick leave during COVID-19, but it’s ending as a federal tax credit that offsets the cost for employers also expires.