The pause comes as the department assesses whether the amount of remaining funding will be sufficient to keep up with the number of eligible applicants, so it is unclear if the application window is closed for good.

Burkett said “several” people at the Department of Commerce told her the lengthening waits are due to new staffing issues, but Melissa Higgins, a housing program executive with the state, said there have been employee vacancies throughout the program’s duration, not just in recent months.