Michael Rubinkam Fewer renters than expected are applying for pandemic assistance in Pennsylvania, alarming state officials who urged tenants who are behind on rent to submit their applications now in light of a judge’s recent decision striking down a national eviction moratorium. The ruling has been put on hold while the Biden administration appeals. But the uncertainty around the moratorium prompted the Department of Human Services, which runs the state’s rental assistance program, to plead with renters to take advantage of the program. “I’m extremely concerned that people are not moving quickly to pursue this assistance because the moratorium was expected to be in place,” Meg Snead, the acting DHS secretary, said Tuesday. “And I’m extremely concerned about what may occur, and circumstances people will be in, if the ruling stands.”