Over 2,000 organizers, advocates, housing and homelessness service providers, reporters, and legislative staff attended a national call on “Coronavirus, Homelessness, and Housing” hosted by NLIHC and the Disaster Housing Recovery Coalition (DHRC) on March 23. The call featured updates from national, state, and local advocates and services providers working to assist people experiencing homelessness, low-income households, and members of marginalized communities, all of whom are disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Register for today’s 2:30 p.m. ET call featuring Representative Maxine Waters, Senator Jack Reed, and others at: https://bit.ly/2R2Xj2f
National updates included a presentation by Brian Montgomery, assistant secretary of HUD and commissioner of the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), who discussed HUD’s efforts to encourage foreclosure moratoriums and alternative housing solutions around the country during the pandemic. Maria Fernandez, senior associate director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), said the agency will be providing flexible alternatives to current appraisal and employment verification requirements for buying, selling, and refinancing homes backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. NLIHC President and CEO Diane Yentel commended FHFA’s decision to make mortgage forbearance for owners of multi-family properties with mortgages backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac conditioned upon an agreement not to evict tenants.
Local updates were given from advocates and housing and services providers in California, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Texas, and Minnesota. Doug Guthrie of the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles spoke about the housing authority’s efforts to secure emergency beds for unhoused individuals to allow them to socially isolate. Richard Cho of the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness discussed the Coalition’s partnership with state and local authorities to address the multifaceted needs of people experiencing homelessness and abide by social distancing and quarantining recommendations. Douglas Schenkelberg of the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless focused on the city’s efforts to procure hotel rooms for quarantining infected people without homes, and Dana Totman of Avesta Housing in Maine noted the lack of desperately needed sanitation supplies for shelter spaces and housing providers and the serious threats to new housing projects under construction. Eric Samuels of Texas Homeless Network addressed the challenges of finding volunteers to help staff shelters, and Michele Stowe of Mercy Housing, Inc. explained her organization’s severe staffing challenges. Anne Mavity of Minnesota Housing Partnership focused on the unique challenges faced by housing providers in rural areas, particularly in the absence of widespread broadband internet that can be used as an alternative to in-person meetings with tenants. All speakers made clear there is an urgent need for additional funding to address the spatial, sanitary, staffing, and housing-supply issues faced by homelessness and housing providers.
National nonprofit leaders who spoke on the call included Sharon Vogel of the United Native American Housing Association and Cheyenne River Housing Authority, who addressed the additional pressures placed on already underfunded service providers in tribal nations. Megan Blondin of Youth Collaboratory shared her perspectives on the needs of young people experiencing homelessness, and Debbie Fox of the National Network to End Domestic Violence raised concerns about the possible ramifications of “shelter-in-place” policies for survivors of domestic violence. NLIHC President and CEO Diane Yentel facilitated the call.
NLIHC and DHRC will host national calls on the Coronavirus, Housing, and Homelessness every week on Mondays at 2:30pm ET. Register for today’s call at: https://bit.ly/2R2Xj2f See the agenda for today’s call at: https://tinyurl.com/wtwdkam
Watch a recording of the March 23 call at: https://bit.ly/2QNpcLz
View presentation slides at: https://bit.ly/2vUZSvQ
Stay up-to-date on COVID news and housing resources at: https://bit.ly/3dwCSEm