NLIHC President and CEO Diane Yentel sent a letter on behalf of NLIHC and its Disaster Housing Recovery Coalition (DHRC) to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, HUD Acting Secretary Matt Ammon, and HUD Secretary-designate Marcia Fudge, expressing appreciation for their diligent work on the new Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document released by the U.S. Department of the Treasury on February 22 regarding the emergency rental assistance (ERA) program and outlining recommendations for further guidance that ensures these critical resources reach households with the greatest needs.
The new Treasury FAQ directly addresses significant flaws in the previous FAQ issued by the Trump administration and includes many of the recommendations made by NLIHC with direct input from local stakeholders. Additional guidance is needed, however, to ensure the lowest-income and most marginalized people remain stably housed during the pandemic.
The letter urges the Biden administration to build on improvements made in the FAQ by issuing further guidance to ensure that resources reach renters who face the greatest risk of eviction during the pandemic. The DHRC developed the recommendations for further Treasury guidance with direct input from local advocates and organizations in response to challenges and lessons learned in responding to the pandemic. The recommendations are also based on NLIHC’s recent and ongoing analysis of more than 600 state and local rental assistance programs created or expanded during the pandemic.
Read the full text of the letter at: https://bit.ly/30dqh3z