Volume 25, Issue 19
May 11, 2020
In This Issue:
Coronavirus, Homelessness, and Housing
Join NLIHC’s Weekly “Coronavirus, Housing and Homelessness” Call Today at 2:30 pm ET!
NLIHC hosts national calls every Monday at 2:30 pm ET on “Coronavirus, Homelessness, and Housing.” Today’s (May 11) call at 2:30 to 4 pm ET will feature Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, and Representative Denny Heck (D-WA) – two of the three principal authors of the “Emergency Rental Assistance and Rental Market Stabilization Act” introduced on May 8 to provide $100 billion in emergency rent relief (see related article in this Memo). Register at: https://tinyurl.com/ru73qan
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Coronavirus - Congress 
Representatives Heck and Waters and Senator Brown Introduce Bill to Provide $100 Billion in Emergency Rental Assistance
Representatives Maxine Waters (D-CA) and Denny Heck (D-WA), along with 133 House cosponsors, Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and 24 Senate cosponsors, introduced the “Emergency Rental Assistance and Rental Market Stabilization Act” on May 8. The bill would provide $100 billion in emergency rental assistance to ensure that lower-income households remain stably housed during the coronavirus pandemic. NLIHC and 120 other national organizations sent a letter to congressional leadership in support of the bill.
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NLIHC Joins Sign-On Letter Urging Congress to Address the Reentry Needs of Formerly Incarcerated Individuals in Next Coronavirus Relief Bill
NLIHC joined 75 other organizations in signing a letter sent on May 5 urging congressional leadership to include resources for formerly incarcerated people in the next coronavirus relief package. Chronic overcrowding and unsanitary conditions place incarcerated individuals and those working in prisons, jails, and detention centers at elevated risk of coronavirus infection. To limit overcrowding, some institutions have begun releasing individuals with non-violent convictions. Resources are now needed to support their safe and effective reentry.
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Coronavirus – New Resources
NLIHC Releases New Estimate of Need for Emergency Rental Assistance in Response to Widespread COVID-19 Job Disruption
NLIHC released on May 8 a second research note on the need for emergency rental assistance in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis. This analysis, “Emergency Rental Assistance Needs for Struggling Workers due to COVID-19,” focuses on the rental-assistance needs generated by the staggering job losses of March and April and additional projected losses, demonstrating the level of support needed to help nearly 13 million low-income households remain stably housed. The report confirms the need for Congress to include at least $100 billion in emergency rental assistance in the next coronavirus relief package.
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NLIHC Releases New Guide to Help Advocates Working With FEMA
NLIHC released a new guidance document, “Getting to Yes: Working with FEMA to Fund Non-congregate Sheltering During COVID-19,” which provides information to help advocates and state governments ensure that FEMA resources serve as many people experiencing homelessness as possible. The document emphasizes the need for public health orders to cite decongesting shelters as a public health necessity, clear language surrounding eligibility, and regular contact with state public health and emergency management agencies.
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NLIHC Provides Additional New Resources on Coronavirus, Housing, and Homelessness
NLIHC recently released new resources on coronavirus, housing and homelessness, including an FAQ on immigrants’ eligibility for assistance in the CARES Act, guidance for helping people experiencing homelessness access Economic Income Payments, and an FAQ on COVID-19 and racial equity.
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Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Release Lookup Tools for Renters in Multifamily Properties Protected by Eviction Moratoriums
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced on May 4 that both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have created online multifamily property lookup tools. Under the CARES Act, renters living in properties with mortgages backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac are covered by a temporary eviction moratorium, and owners of these properties can enter forbearance as a result of lost income due to COVID-19. While the property lookup tools allow some renters to see if they are covered under the CARES Act eviction moratorium, the databases do not include information on properties with 1 to 4 units, which comprise about half of the portfolio. NLIHC sent a letter on April 23 urging FHFA Director Mark Calabria to release this information. NLIHC has also created a searchable database and map, which includes data on multifamily properties supported by several federal programs. During this time of economic uncertainty, it is vital that renters know if they are protected under the federal moratoriums within the provisions of the CARES Act.
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NHLP Releases New Resource on Tenant Rights for Domestic Violence Survivors during COVID-19
The National Housing Law Project (NHLP) released on May 4 an overview of the housing rights of domestic violence survivors during the coronavirus outbreak. The document reminds advocates that housing protections instituted in the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) are still in effect during the pandemic and that public housing agencies (PHAs) can still process requests for VAWA protections.
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Coronavirus - Administration
NLIHC Sends Letter to Federal Agencies Calling for Flexible Guidance on Assistance Funding
NLIHC President and CEO Diane Yentel sent a letter to Treasury Department Secretary Steve Mnuchin, HUD Secretary Ben Carson, and FEMA Administrator Peter Gaynor, calling on the agencies to release guidance providing the broadest possible flexibility for federal funds deployed in the CARES Act. Such flexibility is needed to meet the severe health and housing needs of individuals experiencing homelessness during the coronavirus pandemic. The letter, sent on behalf of NLIHC and its Disaster Housing Recovery Coalition (over 850 local, state, and national organizations involved in disaster housing recovery work), specifically asks for guidance allowing the funds to be used in combination with existing federal assistance programs. Such use of funds can be barred by current federal prohibitions on combining funding from different sources to pay for the same activity or assistance. Read the letter at: https://bit.ly/2WmnPX9
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Coronavirus - HUD
NLIHC, NHLP, and NAHT Send Follow-up Letter to Top HUD Officials Urging Income Recertification and Other Policy Actions
NLIHC, the National Housing Law Project (NHLP), and the National Alliance of HUD Tenants (NAHT) sent a letter on May 6 to Brian Montgomery, HUD assistant secretary for housing and federal housing commissioner, and Hunter Kurtz, HUD assistant secretary for Public and Indian Housing (PIH). The letter follows up on a letter the three organizations sent on March 26 (see Memo, 3/30) regarding HUD’s policies on interim income recertifications during the coronavirus crisis. While some earlier recommendations were incorporated in guidance, the new letter asserts that a number of key policies must still be addressed to protect resident health and safety. HUD's decision not to issue guidance regarding interim income recertification puts some tenants at risk of paying rents incommensurate with their ability to pay, which could lead to eviction or subsidy termination. The organizations urge HUD to act swiftly on six recommendations:
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HUD Posts FAQ on CARES Act HOME Program Eviction Moratorium
The Office of Affordable Housing Programs (OAHP) in HUD’s Office of Community Planning and Development (CPD) posted a May 1 document on Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on the HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME). The FAQ provides guidance on the CARES Act temporary moratorium on evictions.
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HUD Posts Waiver of 90-day Submission Deadline for CAPERs
HUD’s Office of Community Planning and Development (CPD) posted a Memorandum dated May 7 from Acting Assistant Secretary John Gibbs. The Memorandum waives the regulatory requirement that jurisdictions submit a Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) within 90 days of the end of a jurisdiction’s program year.
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HUD Updates “Questions and Answers for Office of Multifamily Housing Stakeholders: Coronavirus (COVID-19)”
HUD’s Office of Multifamily Housing Programs, which oversees contracts with private owners of HUD-assisted properties, made a fifth update to its “Questions and Answers for Office of Multifamily Housing Stakeholders: Coronavirus (COVID-19)” (see Memo, 4/20) on May 1.
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HUD PIH Posts List of Eligible Coronavirus-Related Voucher Activities
HUD’s Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH) posted on April 30 a one-page “List of Eligible Coronavirus-Related Activities” for the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program. The list includes nine eligible uses previously identified in Notice PIH-2020-08) issued on April 28 (see Memo, 5/4) and one new eligible use. The previous notice established eligible activities that public housing agencies (PHAs) may carry out to prevent, prepare for, or respond to coronavirus with the $380 million supplemental administrative fee amounts appropriated through the CARES Act. The one new eligible use is to hire temporary employees to maintain program operations due to coronavirus.
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HUD Memorandum Describes CARES Act Provisions Streamlining Public Participation Requirements for ESG and HOPWA
HUD’s Office of Community Planning and Development (CPD) posted a Memorandum from CPD Acting Assistant Secretary John Gibbs on May 4. It describes CARES Act provisions that streamline the Consolidated Plan public participation requirements for amending an Annual Action Plan for the Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) programs.
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HUD Official Answers CDBG-CV Questions during Enterprise Community Partners Webinar
Jessie Handforth Kome, Director of the Office of Block Grant Assistance in HUD’s Office of Community Planning and Development (CPD) answered questions during a webinar conducted by Enterprise Community Partners on April 29. The webinar addressed the first $2 billion allocation of Community Block Grant (CDBG) supplemental funding available to local governments and states through the CARES Act.
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Coronavirus – FEMA
NLIHC and DHRC Urge FEMA to Implement Program Changes, Authorize Greater Levels of Assistance in Response to COVID-19
NLIHC President and CEO Diane Yentel sent a letter to FEMA Administrator Peter Gaynor expressing the need for greater assistance from FEMA in communities across the country as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The letter, sent on behalf of the Disaster Housing Recovery Coalition (comprised of more than 850 national, state, and local organizations, including many organizations working directly with disaster-impacted communities), calls on FEMA to adapt current programs and deploy its full range of disaster assistance tools to assist Americans, especially the lowest income households, during the pandemic.
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Coronavirus - Other
Tenant Talk Live Webinar Today on Section 3 Opportunities during COVID-19 and More
Join NLIHC’s Tenant Talk Live! resident engagement webinar today (May 11) at 6:00 pm ET (5 pm CT, 4 pm MT, 3 pm PT). Keith Swiney from Motivation, Inc., will discuss Section 3 opportunities for residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Recording Now Available of NLIHC’s May 4 National Call on “Coronavirus, Housing, and Homelessness”
More than 1,000 organizers, advocates, reporters, and legislative staff attended the weekly “Coronavirus, Housing, and Homelessness” national call hosted by NLIHC and our Disaster Recovery Housing Coalition (DHRC) on May 4. The call featured updates from national, state, and local advocates and service 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 (May 11) 2:30 pm ET call at: https://tinyurl.com/ru73qan
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Additional Coronavirus Updates - 
Monday, May 11, 2020
Please note that NLIHC hosts weekly national calls on COVID-19 and housing/homelessness every Monday afternoon. The call is today (May 11) at 2:30pm to 4:00pm ET. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Representative Denny Heck (D-WA) will join the call to discuss their new bill, “The Emergency Rental Assistance and Rental Market Stabilization Act.” NLIHC staff will share research on the need for $100 billion in emergency rental assistance, discuss the unique needs of marginalized populations, and hear field updates from our partners in New Hampshire, Illinois, and Indiana! Register for the call here: https://tinyurl.com/ru73qan
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Opportunity Starts at Home 
Take Action! Urge Congress to Include the “Emergency Rental Assistance Act” in the Next COVID-19 Relief Package
The Opportunity Starts at Home multisector affordable homes campaign on May 7 launched a "Take Action" page where advocates can send pre-formatted letters to their federal elected officials urging them to include the “Emergency Rental Assistance and Rental Market Stabilization Act" in the next coronavirus relief package. Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA), chair of the House Financial Services Committee, Representative Denny Heck (D-WA), and over 120 cosponsors introduced the bill, which would provide $100 billion in emergency rental assistance to avert a surge in evictions and homelessness during the coronavirus pandemic. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, introduced companion legislation in the Senate.
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Campaign Welcomes the Minnesota Chapter of Opportunity Starts at Home
The Opportunity Starts at Home multisector affordable homes campaign is pleased to announce a new state-based campaign, the Minnesota Chapter of Opportunity Starts at Home (OSAH-MN). The Minnesota Chapter was selected through the campaign’s “Endorsement Application,” which enables state-level organizations pursuing multi-sector housing policy efforts to earn a formal endorsement from the national campaign. The application was led by NLIHC state partner the Minnesota Housing Partnership (MHP).
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FEMA
GAO Reports Highlight Ongoing Issues with FEMA and National Disaster Response
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released two reports highlighting ongoing issues with staffing and capacity-building reform at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The first report details deficiencies surrounding FEMA’s efforts to reform their employee qualification tracking and deployment system. The second report addressed gaps in national emergency response.
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Research
Study Finds Changes to Inclusionary Housing Policy Increase Affordable Production
In an article in Housing Studies, “Harnessing the Real Estate Market for Equitable Affordable Housing Provision: Insights from the City of Santa Monica, California,” researchers find that changes to Santa Monica’s inclusionary housing policy produced a 15% increase in inclusionary housing production in the city. The authors found that Santa Monica did better than Los Angeles and San Diego in increasing production of affordable housing when market-rate production increases, suggesting Santa Monica’s inclusionary housing policy is working more efficiently.
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Fact of the Week
Hispanics and Blacks More Affected than Whites by COVID-19 Job Disruptions
Source: Pew Research Center, American Trends Panel, 2020.
From the Field
Montana Provides $50 Million in Emergency Housing Assistance in Response to COVID-19
Montana is an early leader in using Coronavirus Relief Fund resources to provide emergency rent assistance for renters and homeowners struggling to meet housing costs during the pandemic. The Emergency Housing Assistance program now provides rent, security deposit, and mortgage payment support for Montanans who have suffered a loss in household income as a result of COVID-19. The $50 million might expand, as only a small portion of the state’s overall Coronavirus Relief Fund allocation is currently included.
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NLIHC News
NLIHC Seeks Housing Policy Analyst/Senior Housing Policy Analyst
NLIHC seeks a housing policy analyst/senior housing policy analyst (depending on experience) responsible for identifying, analyzing, advocating, and engaging the Coalition’s membership and network in action on federal policy and regulatory activities related to the Coalition’s mission and priorities. The policy analyst will report to the NLIHC vice president for public policy. The position is located in Washington, DC, but NLIHC will be flexible about location for the first year.
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NLIHC in the News
NLIHC in the News for the Week of May 3
The following are some of the news stories that NLIHC contributed to during the week of May 3:
- “Opinion | There’s a Rental Crisis Coming. Here’s How to Avoid It.,” Politico, May 8 at: https://tinyurl.com/y9lddra3
- “Put Homeless People In Hotels,” The Huffington Post, May 5 at: https://tinyurl.com/ybenf25q
- “More than 30 million Americans filed for unemployment since mid-March,” Univision News, May 5 at: https://tinyurl.com/ycapbq75
- “A New Senate Bill Proposes $100 Billion For Emergency Rent Relief,” Forbes, May 4 at: https://tinyurl.com/ybvr3w7h
- “With rent due, millions of Americans can't -- or won't -- pay,” ABC News - Go.com, May 1 at: https://tinyurl.com/yb3nvxgc
- “Opinion: Rent is due. Texas must do more to protect tenants during the COVID-19 crisis” Houston Chronicle, May 1 at: https://tinyurl.com/yc755kwf
NLIHC STAFF
Sonya Acosta, Policy Analyst, x231
Jordan April, Research Intern, x249
Kyle Arbuckle, Housing Advocacy Organizer, x227
Andrew Aurand, Vice President for Research, x245
Victoria Bourret, Housing Advocacy Organizer, x244
Alayna Calabro, Policy Analyst, x252
Josephine Clarke, Executive Assistant, x226
Dan Emmanuel, Senior Research Analyst, x316
Ed Gramlich, Senior Advisor, x314
Kim Johnson, Housing Policy Analyst, x243
Mia Juliana, Graphic Design/Communication Intern, x240
Paul Kealey, Chief Operating Officer, x232
Mike Koprowski, Director, Multisector Housing Campaign, x317
Joseph Lindstrom, Director, Field Organizing, x222
Mayerline Louis-Juste, Communications Specialist, x201
Lisa Marlow, Manager, Media Relations and Communications,, x239
Tyra Reed, Policy Intern, x241
Sarah Saadian Mickelson, Vice President, Public Policy, x228
Khara Norris, Director of Administration, x242
Noah Patton, Housing Policy Analyst, x227
Ikra Rafi, Creative Services Specialist, x246
Catherine Reeves, Development Coordinator, x234
Brooke Schipporeit, Housing Advocacy Organizer, x233
Dan Threet, Research Analyst, x202
Chantelle Wilkinson, Housing Campaign Coordinator, x230
Renee Willis, Vice President for Field and Communications, x247
Diane Yentel, President and CEO, x225
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