apologies to matt damon, we did run out of time for him, he will be rescheduled. "nightline" is next, thanks for watching, good night. this is "nightline." >> tonight, where's the rental relief? billions set aside by congress, by only a tiny fraction distributed to the desperate. >> they're at very high risk becoming homeless. >> landlords with no income for months now. >> i essentially have paid people to live on my property. >> is the country headed toward mass evictions? plus backstage with ozuna after a long covid hiatus. >> i need my friends. i need to have the connectivity. >> the latin superstar out with his new mega-hit "la funka." i don't just play someone brainy on tv - i'm an actual neuroscientist.

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♪ thanks for joining us. i'm stefano ramos. the nationwide eviction moratorium was a blessing for some and a curse for others. now that it's over, many are finding the relief that congress began setting aside last year nearly impossible to get. here's abc's trevor ault. >> we had to gut the kitchen

out, literally gut it out. all these light fixtures were completely gone. it looks like dirt, it's not, trust me, it was roaches. >> reporter: this is what's left at one of katherine esposito's rental properties in san antonio, texas. >> i've owned this property for a long time. to walk into something like this and have it totally destroyed? it's -- it's heartbreaking. >> reporter: she claims last year the tenants who lived here stopped paying rent and trashed the property. because of nationwide eviction moratoriums in place at the time, katherine couldn't do anything to force them out. in my opinion, have paid people to live there, on my property. >> reporter: it's a common misconception that every american property owner is inherently wealthy. but nearly half of all rental units in the u.s. are owned by mom and pop landlords like katherine, who have at most a few properties and often rely on the rental income for their own

mortgages, expenses, and retirement. katherine says between lost rental income and the cost of renovating this ruined property, she's now fallen deeply in debt durst the pandemic. >> the repairs is going to run probably close to $20,000, $30,000. are in here right now, they got totally destroye. >> reporter: but she did seem to have a lifeline, turning to the state's emergency rental relief program, part of an enormous national pot of money designed to keep tenants and landlords afloat. in fact, since december, congress has earmarked more than $46 billion for emergency rental assistance, or e.r.a. the money was turned over to states and localities to distribute. but by the end of august, across the country only about 17% of it had made it into the hands of renters. >> there are millions of people out there who have no idea the program exists. the reason for this is because

it's largely available online. we have not invested nearly enough in publicizing the program and making sure people know about it. >> i would imagine the highest percentage of people who don't have access to the internet are people who are struggling to pay their rent? >> there's no question. >> reporter: e.r.a. applications can be long and confusing, frequently requiring extensive documentati documentation. it's intended to prevent fraud, but it inadvertently slows down the process. >> they have the authority to significantly simplify these programs. and they have to do that. you know, when somebody walks into a store, we don't ask them to prove that they're not going to shoplift. we literally know where these people live. and so i think we have to really give them the benefit of the doubt. >> reporter: texas is one of the most effective states in rolling out its aid. nearly 61% of its $1.3 billion rental relief dollars have been paid out. >> this is the bathroom. >> reporter: katherine says she

was effectively shut out of the funds because her tenants didn't complete their portion of the application. as a result, katherine says she has had zero rental income here for about a year and a half. >> it is gross. >> reporter: the tenants did not respond to requests for comment. >> i paid the water bill for them. so they could at least have the water, you know, since they had three kids here. when they had the chance, they would pay me, reimburse me for it. >> reporter: now katherine is doing whatever she can to make ends meet. >> i'm mowed yards. i've worked at a concession stand. i've delivered groceries. i've gone to the food pantry. i look at a night stand, okay, i can sell it for $10, that will buy a box of mud to fix the house. >> reporter: with nowhere to turn, she decided to sell one of the properties. now because there's no eviction moratoriums in place, a new owner could force out

katherine's good tenants, like mark, who she's known for years. >> it's just not fair. it's hard to live with that. some of these people i've gotten really attached to, i consider them like family. to have to put them out is not -- you know, it's not a good feeling. >> i've been in this property for around 12 years. >> reporter: mark says as hard as things got during the pandemic, he never missed a payment to katherine. >> the ones of us that have been here for a long time have gotten kind of attached to this place, you know? and we've become friends with kathy over the years. i wish somebody would, could do something. >> reporter: the texas rental relief program tells abc news missing federally required documentation creates the most significant delays, and processing time for applications usually takes 62 days. remember, this program is one of the nation's most efficient. new york, meanwhile, has been one of the slowest states to

distribute e.r.a. funding. in fact, by june, it was the only state that had not distributed a single dollar of the federal money. >> in the case of new york, the state legislature sat on it for an unconscionable period of time. and they've been playing catch-up ever since. and that's just a shame. it was not necessary. >> reporter: anna roman is waiting on that money. she's a single mom from the bronx with four children, including an adult daughter with autism who anna cares for around the clock. if you were to be evicted from your home what would that mean for your life? >> i don't know, i'm going to have to tell my daughter. what am i going to tell her, i messed up again? >> reporter: anna has seen rock bottom. nearly 30 years ago she served time for multiple felonies and was homeless at one point, but she fought to turn her life around. she says even prison and life on the street was airs than battling covid-19 last year.

>> you actually thought you might die? >> it felt like it. and i've been shot. >> it was worse than when you got shot? >> yes. when i got shot, i remember it just hurts and hurts and hurts. and i know that the pain is going to go away. but with covid, when is it going to go away? a year later, i'm still in pain. >> reporter: bed-ridden for months, anna fell behind. now she owes about $9,000 in rent. like katherine, anna turned to her state's rental relief program which she found through a flyer at her church, something she saw as a miracle. >> i take total responsibility, and i'm not asking for no handouts. when i was in the bronxworks, it gave me dignity. >> reporter: bronxworks is a community-based organization helping people navigate this complicated rental assistance application process. >> this is very typical of what we see in immigrant populations,

english isn't their first language. even just uploading documents, not everyone has a laptop at home, not everyone has wi-fi at home. >> reporter: she oversees this operation in one of the most underserved and low-income communities in new york. >> a lot of people in our community have history of shelter stays, and they're very high risk of becoming homeless. so they're doing homelessness prevention here. >> reporter: bronxworks helped anna apply, but ten weeks later her application is still pending. what kind of difference would that make fare you if this >> i would be the happiest leprechaun ever, blessed that there is goodness. >> reporter: new york has picked up the pace, to date disbursing $586 million to more than 45,000 landlords owed overdue rent. the state says getting relief money out the door as quickly as

possible remains a top priority for our agency. and all renters in new york, like anna, who have submitted a completed application, are protected from eviction while it's pending. but the clock is ticking. starting october 1st, the department of treasury can take those billions in unused funds and redistribute it to local governments that have been getting out their aid more effectively. >> this seems to be a unique circumstance in that both the renters and the landlords want the same thing here. >> i'm not aware of any time in history when the interests of landlords and tenants have been so closely aligned. we have now a situation where the answer is not a moratorium, the answer is getting the money into the hands of the people who need it. >> reporter: there is a bill currently pending in congress trying to expedite disbursements by allowing landlords to apply for back rent, increasing outreach about the rental relief program, and simplifying the application process. >> i can't create miracles.

i can ask for one. but i can't create it. >> reporter: in texas, it's in that uncommon bond between tenant and landlord that katherine esposito is holding strong. >> sometimes you just need a hug. and that's all it takes to keep you going. >> i just wish somebody was looking out for her, you know? >> our thanks to trevor. up next, backstage with superstar ozuna with his new hit "la funka." ♪ ♪ ♪ i'm a ganiac, ganiac, check my drawers ♪ ♪ and my clothes smell so much fresher than before ♪ ♪ i'm a ganiac, ganiac, check my drawers ♪ ♪ it's a freshness like i've never smelled before ♪

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♪ ozuna, one of the most successful latin music artists of all time, hadn't been able to throw a concert for more than a year. so when he finally did, we wanted to be backstage. here's abc's gio benitez. ♪ ♪ >> reporter: superstar ozuna has been waiting a long time for this moment. backstage with his wife in los angeles at the global citizen festival, he reflects on a challenging year. as a father and as a performer. >> i needed that energy. i need my fans. i need to have the connectivity. i feel like it's my first show. i'm good playing with my team,

my band. to see the people, see the artists. >> reporter: ozuna thrives off the energy from the audience and his fans. but here in new york city, ozuna is just as at home -- ♪ >> reporter: performing his 90 hit "la funka" for us -- ♪ >> reporter: -- as he is in front of a crowd. ♪ ♪ oh yeah yeah yeah puerto rico ♪ >> we're here at the new york poets cafe, legendary, started by puerto rican artists who wanted to give a voice to young latino singers. what does it mean to you as a son of the island? >> reporter: tell me about "la

funka." >> reporter: that joy and energy in his music has quickly made ozuna one of the best-selling latin artists of all time, racking up two latin grammy awards and dozens of billboard chart-topping hits. well known for his hits like "vila vila vila," as well as his collaborations with artists like the black eyed peas on the chart-topping "mamacita." ♪ now the rest of the world is catching on to what latin america has known for quite a while. in 2019, he was featured as one of "time's" most influential people. and even overtook justin bieber as the artist with the most music videos with a billion views on youtube.

following his smash hit "tacki tacki" with selena gomez and cardi b, landing him a spot in the guinness world record book, a song he tells us was written in just ten minutes. >> reporter: some days it takes you five minutes to write a song? >> yeah, i do "taki taki in 10 minutes." >> 10 minutes, and you got a hit. >> a hit. ♪ >> reporter: ozuna's superstar status is a far cry from his humble beginnings in puerto rico, where he was raised by his

grandmother. >> you were raised with your grandmother. abuela, i'm an abuela's boy. >> me, too. >> what did she teach you in san juan? >> reporter: ozuna draws on that heritage and his family as inspiration for his music. >> my music, like, is for everybody.

>> reporter: that connection with his fans is evident on and off the stage. his fame is a coronation long in the making. >> they're calling you the new king of reggaeton. what do you think about that title? ♪ >> reporter: next up for the star, a movie about his own life and fame.

-- abuela, she did it right, she did it right. >> i tell you, i tell you. >> thank you, my man. >> i know all about that abuela love. our thanks to gio. up next, california rights a wrong from nearly 100 years ago. itchy? squirmy? scratchy? family not getting clean? get charmin ultra strong. go get 'em. it just cleans better. with a diamond weave texture, your family can use less while still getting clean. goodbye itchy squirm. hello clean bottom! we all go. why not enjoy the go with charmin.

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yeah, that's half the fun of a new house. seeing what people left behind in the attic. well, saving on homeowners insurance with geico's help was pretty fun too. ahhhh, it's a tiny dancer. they left a ton of stuff up here. welp, enjoy your house. nope. no thank you. geico could help you save on homeowners and renters insurance. ♪ i see trees of green ♪ geico could help you save on homeowners ♪ red roses too ♪ ♪ i see them bloom for me and you ♪ (music) ♪ so i think to myself ♪

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♪ finally tonight, california is returning bruce's beach to the family that once owned it. the manhattan beach property was once the site of a popular resort where black families could vacation a century ago. but the owners, the bruce family, faced racism and harassment and the county eventually seized their property. the great great grandson of the original owners was there today ready to reassume ownership of the coveted property.

that's "nightline." you can watch all of our full episodes on hulu. we'll seeack here at the same time tomorrow. the same time tomorrow. have a good night.