Maryland will dedicate $30 million in federal funds to help renters at risk of eviction during the pandemic, Gov. Larry Hogan’s office announced Friday.

A third of the funds will pay rent on behalf of residents of government-subsidized rental housing. Residents of about 20% of state-financed housing units in the state are behind on rent, according to the governor.

The remaining two thirds of the money — $20 million — will be distributed among the state’s 24 jurisdictions for local rental assistance programs.

The funds come from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which provided states with $150 billion in aid to help them weather the pandemic. The Hogan administration did not specify when the rental assistance funds will become available.

Elected officials and tenant advocates welcomed the help, but some expressed skepticism that it matches the scale of what could be a statewide eviction crisis in the making. According to the Aspen Institute, the COVID-19 pandemic has put more than 356,000 Marylanders at risk of eviction by the end of September.

“I am glad that the governor has made this announcement and committed funds, but this is just a first step,” said Del. Jheanelle Wilkins (D-Montgomery County), who has backed legislation to protect vulnerable renters in Maryland.

Wilkins added that landlords who receive the funds should be held accountable if they later evict tenants, increase rents or fail to adequately protect residents from COVID-19 outbreaks in their buildings.

The $30 million allocation falls short of the amount advocates for low-income residents have sought to prevent evictions across the state. In May, the ACLU of Maryland, Homeless Persons Representation Project and Public Justice Center urged Hogan to dedicate $153 million to protect renters who have lost income during the health emergency.

The groups also asked the governor to extend a statewide ban on evictions for nonpayment of rent, which is set to expire once Maryland’s state of emergency is lifted. The CARES Act banned evictions from federally funded residential properties until July 25.

Hogan’s announcement arrives one day after Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam unveiled a $50 million fund for eviction and foreclosure prevention in the commonwealth. That fund has also drawn muted praise from tenant advocates, who say more is needed to help the estimated 568,000 Virginians at risk of eviction later this year.

Northam announced Thursday that local courts will be allowed to proceed with evictions on June 29, after a statewide moratorium expires Sunday.