Additional Coronavirus Updates – May 17, 2021

May 17, 2021

Upcoming Event

Join NLIHC, the Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living (APRIL), and the Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies on May 26 at 1 pm ET for a webinar on Emergency Relocations and Non-Congregate Sheltering: Using Federal Disaster Recovery Resources to Save Lives. Learn more about the webinar and register!

National Updates

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) released a practitioner’s guide to help people experiencing homelessness access their economic impact payments (i.e., stimulus checks).

Department of Housing and Urban Development

HUD’s Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH) sent letters on May 10 to nearly 700 public housing agencies (PHAs), inviting the PHAs to administer 70,000 emergency housing vouchers (EHVs) authorized by the American Rescue Plan Act.

Department of Treasury

The Department of the Treasury on May 10 announced the launch of the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds established by the American Rescue Plan Act to provide $350 billion in emergency funding for state, local, territorial, and Tribal governments. Recipients can use funds to support households, small businesses, impacted industries, essential workers, and the communities hardest-hit by the crisis. See this fact sheet for an overview of the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds program. See the full list for additional details on state, local, territorial, and Tribal government allocations.

Advocacy

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities Get It Back Campaign released a toolkit on stimulus check outreach to immigrant families. The public-facing materials in the toolkit are available in Arabic, Chinese, French, Spanish, and Vietnamese to help reach non-English speakers. The tools are customizable: within them, you will find prompts to insert a link to your website or phone number to call, as well as ways to localize the information to better suit your needs.

The Urban Institute will host a webinar on May 25, 2021 at 3 pm ET on the Emergency Rental Assistance Prioritization (ERAP) tool it created to help states and localities identify neighborhoods where low-income renters face the greatest risk of housing insecurity. The webinar will highlight two programs from across the country centering racial equity in their program design and using the ERAP tool to prioritize outreach and shape the provision of assistance.

Reporting

Reuters reports on the Treasury Department’s allocation of an additional $21.6 billion for emergency rental assistance (ERA) under the American Rescue Plan Act and the new ERA guidance aimed at assisting more renters directly.

The New York Times reports on the Biden administration’s new guidance intended to make it easier for tenants to access the $46 billion in federal emergency rental assistance, highlighting that housing advocates have praised the revised guidance.

CNBC reminds readers that the federal eviction moratorium remains in effect as the Department of Justice appeals the ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Dabney Friedrich. The article outlines what struggling renters should know about the CDC moratorium, state and local eviction protections, and rental assistance.

According to the New York Times, it remains unclear how wide an impact the U.S. District Court Judge Dabney Friedrich’s ruling on the CDC eviction moratorium will have on renters. The article cites statements from NLIHC President and CEO Diane Yentel on the numerous conflicting court rulings at the district court level, with several judges ruling in favor of the moratorium and several ruling against.

Reuters reports that after the Department of Justice sought a stay, Judge Dabney Friedrich agreed to put her ruling on the CDC moratorium on hold until May 12 to give landlords time to file legal papers opposing the delay. NLIHC’s Diane Yentel says the moratorium should remain in place at least until federal emergency rental assistance reaches renters in need.

CNBC Make It reports on Judge Dabney Friedrich’s ruling on the CDC eviction moratorium, highlighting housing experts’ concerns that the ruling puts tenants at risk just as emergency rental assistance is making its way to renters in need of these critical resources. “The Biden administration should continue to vigorously defend and enforce the moratorium, at least until emergency rental assistance provided by Congress reaches the renters who need it to remain stably housed,” said NLHC’s Diane Yentel.

CBS MoneyWatch reports on efforts by the Federal Trade Commission and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to target corporate landlords’ eviction practices. "Conservatively, there are probably thousands of families who are being evicted every week without knowledge of their rights under the CDC moratorium," said Diane Thompson, senior adviser to the CFPB's acting director, in a recent conference call.

State and Local News

Arizona

Governor Doug Ducey announced $500 million of federal funds to combat homelessness in Arizona. The funds come from the December 2020 COVID-19 relief package and the American Rescue Plan.

Colorado

Axios reports on Colorado’s efforts to use underutilized hotels to house people experiencing homelessness. Democratic state lawmakers advanced a bill that would allocate $15 million to local governments and nonprofits to lease, purchase, and renovate hotels and motels for people experiencing homelessness.

Connecticut

The Connecticut Mirror reports that the Connecticut House of Representatives voted on May 11 to provide attorneys for low-income tenants facing eviction. If passed in the Senate and signed into law by Governor Lamont, Connecticut will become one of the first states to provide the right to counsel. Funding for the first two years of the program is expected to come from federal COVID-19 relief funds. Governor Lamont recommended the legislature allocate $20 million to provide legal representation for 12,000 people facing eviction over the next two years.

Minnesota

The Members of Equity in Place Coalition held a news conference on May 11 raising concerns over the phasing out of Minnesota’s eviction moratorium. The coalition urged that the state eviction moratorium should remain in place until every eligible Minnesotan receives housing assistance.

New Jersey

New Jersey renters can still apply to the state’s Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) lottery program. Since the application opened in late March, the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs has received over 74,000 applications. The state expects to choose 20,000 applications out of that pool for the lottery by May 14.

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania will receive its first funding disbursement of Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) funded through the American Rescue Plan, and the Pennsylvania General Assembly will need to pass legislation to ensure these resources reach tenants and landlords as quickly as possible. The Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania is encouraging residents to call their legislators and urge them to improve the PA Emergency Rental and Utility Assistance Program (ERAP) to make it as effective as possible. The Alliance put together an ERAP comparison chart with recommendations on how to improve the program.

Texas

Lone Star Legal Aid has a fact sheet about accessing COVID-19 FEMA Funeral Benefits. Residents can call Lone Star Legal Aid’s hotline for more information: 1-800-733-8394.

Virginia

The Henrico Citizen provides a list of rent relief resources available in the Richmond region.

Washington

The Seattle Times reports that King County will buy several hotels in the coming weeks to convert into permanent housing for people experiencing homelessness. The goal is to house 1,600 people in hotels by the end of 2022.

Guidance

Department of Housing and Urban Development

HUD Emergency Housing Voucher (EHV) Program Webpage

Fact Sheet: HUD and HHS Announce Joint Effort to Increase Access to COVID-19 Vaccinations

HUD Exchange: New Resources for DCTA Recipients and Smaller Distressed Communities – May 10, 2021

Department of Treasury

Emergency Rental Assistance Program Webpage