States and localities in November paid out the largest amount of rental assistance to cash-strapped tenants since a federal program began, the Treasury Department said in a statement Friday. The $2.9 billion paid out is the latest sign that the program’s early hiccups have been mostly been resolved and it is now turning to helping those places running short of cash. The latest figures show $17.39 billion has been allocated to help cover back rent, putting the program on pace to pay out or allocate $30 billion by the end of 2021. So far, there have been more than 3.1 million payments. “We are just seeing that people got their programs started, made them simpler and more efficient,” Gene Sperling, who is charged with overseeing implementation of President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus rescue package, said in an email interview. “A lot of places are moving fast and you are …