WASHINGTON: Eviction protections expired Sunday for millions of Americans who could face homelessness within days, triggering a scramble to unlock billions in stalled rental aid and provoking blame trading in Washington.

Renters had been shielded from eviction for nearly a year as part of a government moratorium intended to keep people in their houses during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Americans paying down debt at rapid pace

But lawmakers have failed to extend those expiring protections and only $3 billion in aid has reached households out of the $25 billion allotted to states and localities in early February.