Volume 25, Issue 21
May 26, 2020
In This Issue:
Coronavirus, Homelessness, and Housing
NLIHC Participates in House Financial Services Committee Roundtable on Impact of COVID-19 on Housing and Homelessness
NLIHC President and CEO Diane Yentel participated on May 22 in a virtual roundtable hosted by the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing, Community Development, and Insurance on the “Reviewing the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on U.S. Housing Markets.”
Read more of this article here
Dr. Ibram Kendi Joins NLIHC’s Diane Yentel to Discuss Racial Justice in the Time of COVID-19
Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, author of How to Be an Antiracist and Founding Director of The Antiracist Research & Policy Center at American University in Washington, DC, joined NLIHC President and CEO Diane Yentel on May 21 to discuss racial justice during and after COVID-19. Throughout the hour-long conversation, Dr. Kendi and Diane discussed the definition of being “anti-racist,” the discipline that being anti-racist requires, and the importance of anti-racist policies to undo centuries of structural racism and the harm it does to people of color. They discussed how decades of racist housing and other policies made today’s disproportionate harm of COVID-19 on people of color possible, concrete steps for the housing community to take in advancing anti-racist housing policies and programs, and much more.
Watch the discussion here: https://bit.ly/3bYisC2
Take Action: Join June 1 Tweetstorm Calling for Housing and Homelessness Resources in Next COVID-19 Response Bill
Participate in a tweetstorm on June 1 (when a new month’s rent is due) at 1 pm ET calling for robust housing resources and other provisions in the next coronavirus response bill. NLIHC and our partners around the country are urging Congress to include funding to meet the urgent needs of people experiencing homelessness and America’s lowest-income renters in the next relief package. It is crucial that advocates continue contacting their representatives and senators and urging them to support vital resources and protections, including $11.5 billion to address the needs of people experiencing homelessness, $100 billion in emergency rental assistance, and a uniform, national moratorium on evictions and foreclosures.
Read more of this article here
Join NLIHC’s Weekly “Coronavirus, Housing, and Homelessness” Call Today at 2:30 pm ET
Join today’s (May 26) national call on coronavirus, housing and homelessness at 2:30-4:00 pm ET. We will discuss updates and needed actions on getting critical housing and homelessness resources and provisions in the next coronavirus response package, explore the intersections of housing and health and the needs of survivors of domestic violence during the pandemic, hear about state and local efforts to address housing stability, get updates from the field, and more. Register at: https://tinyurl.com/ru73qan
Coronavirus – Congress 
Senate Banking Committee Holds Hearing on CARES Act Implementation
The Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs held a remote hearing regarding “The Quarterly CARES Act Report to Congress” on May 20. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell offered testimony and answered questions on the efficacy and implementation of financial programs created by the CARES Act in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read more of this article here
Coronavirus - HUD
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 sixth update to its “Questions and Answers for Office of Multifamily Housing Stakeholders: Coronavirus (COVID-19)” (see Memo, 5/11) on May 21. This update includes five revised questions and 11 new questions. This article highlights three of the new Q&As.
Read more of this article here
HUD CPD Makes First Award from Third Round CDBG-CV Set-Aside
HUD’s Office of Community Planning and Development (CPD) posted the first round of CDBG-CV funds from the third round set-aside of $2 billion of CARES Act supplemental funding for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. The sole award of $2.4 million is going to the District of Columbia.
Read more of this article here
Coronavirus - Other
NLIHC Releases COVID-19 FAQs in Spanish, Including New FAQ on Housing Needs of People with Disabilities
NLIHC recently released new resources on coronavirus, housing, and homelessness, including Spanish translations of all Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). NLIHC has created COVID-19 FAQs about homelessness, Economic Impact Payments, eligibility for assistance based on immigration status, FEMA resources, racial equity, Unemployment Insurance, and renters’ rights.
Read more of this article here
Tenant Talk Live: “Ask HUD” Webinar
for Residents on June 1 
Join NLIHC’s Tenant Talk Live resident engagement webinar on Monday, June 1 at 6 pm ET (5 pm CT, 4 pm MT, 3 pm PT). NLIHC has invited key HUD officials to join residents in conversation about changes in HUD programs and requirements such as income recertifications and inspections in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Register here: https://bit.ly/2WSJR46
Read more of this article here
Recording Available of NLIHC’s May 18 National Call on “Coronavirus, Housing, and Homelessness”
NLIHC’s last national call on “Coronavirus, Housing, and Homelessness” took place on May 18. 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 26) 2:30 pm ET call at: https://tinyurl.com/ru73qan
Read more of this article here
Additional Coronavirus Updates -
Monday, May 26, 2020 
NLIHC maintains a COVID-19/Housing and Homelessness News and Resource page with policy recommendations, factsheets, frequently asked questions, research notes, and additional resources.
National Updates
Congress
Congressman David Price (D-NC), chairman of the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee, and ranking member Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) sent a letter to HUD Secretary Ben Carson urging the department to take immediate steps to ensure that CARES Act funds are promptly disbursed to state and local governments.
Read more of this article here
Opportunity Starts at Home Advocates
Multisector Advocates Send Hundreds of Letters Urging Congress to Include Housing Resources in Next COVID-19 Relief Package
Through the Opportunity Starts at Home multisector affordable homes campaign, advocates have now sent more than 1,600 letters to members of Congress urging them to include robust housing resources in the next coronavirus relief package. Thanks to your advocacy, the campaign’s top policy priorities are included in Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s recently introduced “HEROES Act”: $100 billion for emergency rental assistance; a uniform evictions moratorium; $11.5 billion for homeless assistance; and at least $4 billion for Housing Choice Vouchers. These policy priorities have been endorsed by leading national organizations from education, health, civil rights, environmental protection, and other sectors.
Read more of this article here
Community Reinvestment Act
OCC Finalizes Harmful Changes to CRA Regulations
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) on May 20 released a final rule to change Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) regulations. The CRA, enacted in 1977, established responsibilities for banks to meet the credit needs of low- and moderate-income (LMI) neighborhoods as a way to combat redlining. The OCC and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) issued a proposed rule in December 2019 that received more than 7,500 public comments, the majority of which opposed the proposal. The FDIC decided not to join this final rule, and the Federal Reserve declined to join either the proposed or final rules. The OCC’s decision to move forward alone will create disjointed enforcement among financial regulators. Although the final rule makes some improvements from the proposal, the final rule will likely result in significantly fewer investments in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods and communities of color.
Read more of this article here
Our Homes, Our Votes: 2020
Vote-by-Mail: An Established Option Needed During COVID-19 Pandemic
Increasing opportunities to vote by mail provide voters with a safe and convenient way to exercise their civic duty. This option is more important than ever in the face of the health and safety precautions necessary to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this pressing need, vote-by-mail is the subject of political controversy.
Read more of this article here
Webinar on “Getting Housing Issues and Ballot Initiatives into the Elections” Now Scheduled for May 28
Due to a scheduling conflict, last week’s “Third Thursdays at Three” Our Homes, Our Votes 2020 webinar on “Getting Housing Issues and Ballot Initiatives into the Elections” was postponed and will now take place on May 28 at 3 pm ET. Register for this webinar and NLIHC’s entire 15-month Our Homes, Our Votes 2020 webinar and podcast series on nonpartisan voter and candidate engagement, free to the public, at: https://bit.ly/2Luj0F3
Read more of this article here
Research
New NAEH Report Describes Trends in Homelessness
The National Alliance to End Homelessness released “The State of Homelessness: 2020 Edition,” which provides national homelessness statistics, data visualization, detailed resources about homelessness in each state and Continuum of Care (CoC), and predictions about the impact of the pandemic on people experiencing homelessness. This year’s report notes that homelessness increased by 3% in the 2019 Point-in-Time Count over the previous year, the third straight year of increases, and that the COVID-19 crisis could eliminate all gains made in eliminating homelessness since 2007.
Read more of this article here
Federal Reserve Survey Finds Persistent Inequalities in April 2020
The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System released its “Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2019, Featuring Supplemental Data from April 2020.” The report finds that even before the onset of COVID-19, 25% of adults struggled financially, and 37% of adults would not be able to pay for an unexpected $400 expense with cash or a credit card paid off at the end of the month. The April 2020 follow-up survey found 18% of adults did not expect to be able to pay April bills in full.
Read more of this article here
Increasing Housing Costs Tied to Employment Growth, Land-Use Regulation, and Scarcity of Land
The Urban Institute released “Why the Most Affordable Homes Increased the Most in Price between 2000 and 2019.” The report finds that over the last decade, prices for the least expensive homes appreciated faster than prices for the most expensive homes. The relative price appreciation varies among metropolitan areas, and the authors document greater appreciation of the least-expensive homes in metropolitan areas with higher employment growth, stronger zoning and land-use regulation, and scarcity of land for development.
Read more of this article here
Fact of the Week
Pacific Islanders, Native Americans, and African Americans More Likely Than Other Racial and Ethnic Groups to Experience Homelessness
Source: National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2020.
From the Field
UPDATE: Advocates Successfully Stop Cuts to the Oklahoma Affordable Housing Act Funding
The Oklahoma legislature passed H.B. 2760 on May 12 to cut the Oklahoma Affordable Housing Act’s annual funding in half retroactively to January 2020. The vote occurred without opportunity for input from the affordable housing community (See Memo, 5/18). Subsequently, the Oklahoma Coalition for Affordable Housing, an NLIHC state partner, generated hundreds of calls and emails to Governor Stitt’s office urging him to veto the bill. On May 18, the governor’s last day to act on the bill, Governor Stitt vetoed H.B. 2760.
Read more of this article here
NLIHC News
NLIHC Welcomes Policy Intern Abigail Barton
NLIHC is pleased to welcome Abigail Barton as the Coalition’s 2020 summer policy intern. A rising junior at Brown University, Abigail is studying public policy and American studies, and she helps lead a student-run advocacy and direct service organization focused on housing justice in Rhode Island. Driven by her work as a housing navigator and advocate for those experiencing housing insecurity and homelessness, Abigail seeks to center the lived experiences of those most impacted in legislative and policymaking processes. She works closely with local organizations to coordinate state and local lobbying efforts rooted in the needs and knowledge of the communities they serve. Abigail is excited for the opportunity to advocate for equitable housing policy at the national level with NLIHC.
Please join us in welcoming Abigail to the NLIHC team!
NLIHC Welcomes Research Intern Emma Foley
NLIHC is pleased to welcome Emma Foley as the Coalition’s 2020 summer research intern.
Emma is currently pursuing a Master of Public Policy at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy. She became passionate about equitable housing policy following several years working with organizations that advocate affordable, accessible, and fair housing in Charlotte, Poughkeepsie, and New Orleans. For the past four years, she has worked for a social science research firm to assess social program efficacy across several policy areas. She is thrilled to combine her interests in research, equity, and housing in support of NLIHC’s mission to ensure socially just housing policy.
Please join us in welcoming Emma to the NLIHC team!
NLIHC Welcomes Graphic Design/Communications Intern Shuting Zhou
NLIHC is pleased to welcome Shuting Zhou as the Coalition’s 2020 summer graphic design/communications intern. Shuting is a new graduate from the Visual Communication Design program at The Ohio State University. Brand strategy, animation, data visualization, and user experience design are just a few of her passions. Through a previous internship, she gained valuable experience designing infographics and social media images for local non-profits. Shuting knows how crucial it is to ensure people with the lowest incomes in the U.S. have affordable and decent homes, especially during the current COVID-19 crisis, and she is excited to use her graphic design skills to help NLIHC raise awareness on socially just public policies.
Please join us in welcoming Shuting to the NLIHC team!
NLIHC in the News
NLIHC in the News for the Week of May 17
The following are some of the news stories that NLIHC contributed to during the week of May 17:
- “Security deposits can be a high-cost hurdle to affordable housing,” The Washington Post, May 20 at: https://tinyurl.com/y9bwkmzg
- “Struggling to pay rent? SC Housing authority offering up to $1,500 in assistance,” The Post and Courier, May 20 at: https://tinyurl.com/ycrtllqo
- “How Louisiana cities are using the CARES Act to save small businesses, keep people in homes,” The Tennessean, May 19 at: https://tinyurl.com/yb3cx33x
- “Renters prepare for tough choices as eviction proceedings resume in Texas,” Click2Houston, May 19 at: https://tinyurl.com/ycqm7m52
- “Can you be evicted during coronavirus? Here’s how to find out,” ProPublica, May 18 at: https://tinyurl.com/yavojgn5
NLIHC STAFF
Sonya Acosta, Policy Analyst, x231
Kyle Arbuckle, Housing Advocacy Organizer, x227
Andrew Aurand, Vice President for Research, x245
Abigail Barton, Policy Intern, x241
Victoria Bourret, Housing Advocacy Organizer, x244
Alayna Calabro, Policy Analyst–COVID-19 Response x252
Josephine Clarke, Executive Assistant, x226
Emma Foley, Research Intern, x249
Dan Emmanuel, Senior Research Analyst, x316
Ed Gramlich, Senior Advisor, x314
Kim Johnson, Housing Policy Analyst, x243
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
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
Shuting Zhou, Graphic Design/Communication Intern, x240
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