During the most recent national call on coronavirus, disasters, housing, and homelessness, we heard about disaster relief in Louisiana, updates on the CDC eviction moratorium, and the impact of COVID-19 and the eviction crisis on historically marginalized communities.
Renard Thomas of the Reentry Alliance of Louisiana shared what is happening on the ground in Louisiana in the wake of Hurricanes Laura and Delta. NLIHC’s Noah Patton discussed instances when FEMA established two assistance programs for two separate disasters in one state, a scenario that Louisiana residents currently face. Diane Yentel, NLIHC’s president and CEO, reviewed new guidance on the CDC eviction moratorium for nonpayment of rent. The guidance grants landlords additional power and creates new burdens for renters seeking protections (see Memo, 10/13).
Agatha So from UnidosUS discussed the challenges Latino renters, undocumented individuals, and mixed-status households are facing in obtaining rental and mortgage assistance, and shared insights from a recent publication on how COVID-19 has exacerbated the housing crisis in the Latino community. James Richardson of the National Community Reinvestment Coalition shared findings on the heightened impact of COVID-19 on formerly redlined communities.
We received field updates from California, New Mexico, and Virginia. Ilene Jacobs from California Rural Legal Assistance shared updates on the impacts of the California wildfires and COVID-19. Brie Sillery from the New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness discussed how her organization worked with the local Department of Health to continue to serve the homeless population during the pandemic. Steve Fischbach from the Virginia Poverty Law Center reported on the state of evictions in Virginia.
NLIHC hosts national calls on Coronavirus, Disasters, Housing, and Homelessness every week. On today’s call, we will discuss new resources to accompany the Framework for an Equitable COVID-19 Homelessness Response, hear about nonpartisan voter engagement efforts, get updates from the field, and more. Register for today’s call (Monday, October 19 at 2:30 pm ET) at: https://tinyurl.com/ru73qan
Watch a recording of the October 13 call at: tinyurl.com/y2pdvp35
Access presentation slides at: tinyurl.com/y67guj8z