During our most recent (August 9) national call on “HoUSed: Universal, Stable, Affordable Housing,” we discussed the latest on the CDC eviction moratorium and efforts by the apartment industry to have the Supreme Court overturn it. FEMA Recovery Directorate Assistant Administrator Keith Turi joined us to share information about how states can use 100% federal reimbursement to continue during the pandemic to use non-congregate sheltering for people experiencing homelessness and people with disabilities. Alicia Mazzara, senior research analyst at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, discussed the use of the CDC’s transmission data to determine moratorium eligibility. We heard the latest from NLIHC’s ERASE project about immediate federal, state, and local actions needed to disburse emergency rental assistance to protect renters. NLIHC’s policy team shared the latest updates from Capitol Hill about the infrastructure and spending packages. We also received updates from the field.
NLIHC President and CEO Diane Yentel spoke about the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit’s August 20 order rejecting an emergency motion by the Alabama Association of Realtors to halt the Biden administration’s new eviction moratorium, the subsequent emergency petition the Realtors filed with the Supreme Court, and the Biden administration’s response (see Memo, 8/23).
Alicia Mazzara from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) spoke about a new tool to determine whether a county is covered by the CDC eviction moratorium. The CBPP’s step-by-step guide also outlines what to do if a county falls below the “substantial” or “high” rate of transmission required for the CDC order’s protection.
FEMA Recovery Directorate Assistant Administrator Keith Turi spoke about the Biden administration’s August 17 announcement that FEMA would continue to fully cover the eligible costs related to coronavirus activities through the end of the year, including costs associated with non-congregate sheltering for those experiencing homelessness (see Memo, 8/23).
Jesse Rabinowitz from Miriam’s Kitchen spoke about the Way Home Campaign and discussed advocates’ central role in securing historic investments in housing and homelessness in D.C.’s budget. The transformative budget will end homelessness for 3,500 households in D.C., including 2,370 individuals experiencing chronic homelessness.
NLIHC’s Alayna Calabro provided updates on the budget resolution, which sets the stage for a $3.5 trillion infrastructure and economic recovery package, including an investment of up to $332 billion for housing and transportation (see Memo, 8/23). NLIHC’s Emma Foley and Sarah Gallagher provided End Rental Arrears to Stop Evictions (ERASE) updates, including NLIHC’s ERASE Checklists, new fact sheet on self-attestation, and additional ERA resources.
NLIHC’s next national call will be held Monday, August 30 at 2:30 pm ET. Register for the next call at: https://tinyurl.com/ru73qan
Watch a recording of the August 23 call at: https://tinyurl.com/38chb3p3
View presentation slides at: https://tinyurl.com/xrscz2db