During the most recent national call on coronavirus, disasters, housing, and homelessness, we discussed the next coronavirus relief package, heard about strategies for targeting emergency rental assistance (ERA) to the lowest-income households, learned about the applicability of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) eviction moratorium to lease expiration and no-cause eviction notices, and received updates from the field.
Jennifer Loving of Destination: Home discussed her organization’s work creating a community-driven equity approach for providing emergency rental assistance in Santa Clara County, California. In total, the organization has provided over $31 million to 14,000 households in-need, 77% of which are households with extremely low-incomes. Destination: Home recommends prioritizing the lowest-income and most vulnerable residents, providing enough assistance to help people stay housed and meet basic needs, taking intentional steps to reach underserved communities and people of color, and avoiding onerous requirements to ensure there is the necessary flexibility to serve the most vulnerable residents.
NLIHC’s Diane Yentel provided updates on the CDC eviction moratorium and emergency rental assistance. The Biden administration announced an extension of COVID-19 forbearance and foreclosure protections through the end of June, and NLIHC is urging the administration to extend, improve, and enforce the CDC’s eviction moratorium. NLIHC is also tracking the implementation of more than 600 ERA programs across the country. So far, five states and 22 localities have opened ERA programs with funding from December’s COVID-19 relief package.
Eric Dunn from the National Housing Law Project (NHLP) shared insights from NHLP’s recent memo on the applicability of the CDC eviction moratorium to lease expiration and no-cause eviction notices. Local judges and jurisdictions are moving forward with evictions based on lease expirations or no-cause evictions, despite the eviction moratorium covering these circumstances. We received field updates from the Nevada Housing Coalition and the Atlanta Legal Aid Society, Inc. NLIHC’s Sarah Saadian provided an update on the budget reconciliation process to pass the next coronavirus relief bill.
NLIHC hosts national calls on Coronavirus, Disasters, Housing, and Homelessness every week. On today’s call, we will hear from advocates in Texas on the devastating winter storms, get updates on right to counsel efforts around the country, learn about using FEMA reimbursement for non-congregate sheltering for people in long-term care facilities, and more. Register for today’s call (Monday, February 22 at 2:30 pm ET) at: https://tinyurl.com/ru73qan
Watch a recording of the February 16 call at: tinyurl.com/1aebqenf
Access presentation slides at: tinyurl.com/24sax4sx