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Volume 25, Issue 35
August 31, 2020
In This Issue:
TAKE ACTION!
Keep the Pressure On: Join #GetBackToWork Tweetstorm on September 9 at 1 pm ET
The Senate will be back in session next week. On September 9 from 1 – 2 pm ET join NLIHC, the Coalition on Human Needs, and other advocates for a #GetBackToWork tweetstorm. Tell Congress that housing stability during and after this pandemic cannot wait. Congress must immediately pass a coronavirus relief bill that includes the essential resources and protections for America’s lowest-income renters and people experiencing homelessness included in the “HEROES Act.”
Read more of this article here
Join Housing Saves Lives Campaign Week of Action: August 31 - September 4
Join NLIHC and the Housing Saves Lives campaign to oppose HUD’s anti-transgender rule in a Week of Action taking place today through September 4. The Trump administration is once again attacking LGBTQ people, this time by removing critical equal access protections and regulations for transgender people. The Administration’s proposed rule change to the Equal Access Rule is an egregious attempt to prevent transgender people from accessing federally funded emergency shelters and services (see Memo, 7/27). NLIHC partnered with over 50 local and national organization to form the Housing Saves Lives Campaign, which works to oppose the administration’s anti-transgender rule. The public comment period ends on September 22.
Read more of this article here
Coronavirus, Homelessness, and Housing
Join NLIHC’s National Call on Coronavirus, Housing, and Homelessness Today at 2:30 pm ET
Join today’s (August 31) national call on coronavirus, disasters, housing, and homelessness from 2:30-4 pm ET for field updates on the devastation caused by Hurricane Laura in the Gulf Coast, the wildfires in California, and the derecho in Iowa. We will discuss the state of play between the White House and Congress on a coronavirus relief package, getting the essential housing and homelessness components in the HEROES Act enacted, and working with Congress on other disaster housing response legislation. We will hear from Sam Batko of the Urban Institute on a new tool to help state and local decisionmakers center racial equity when distributing CARES Act funding to communities, get updates from the field, and more.
Register for the national call at: https://tinyurl.com/ru73qan
See the full agenda here.
Coronavirus – Resources
New Urban Institute Funding Targeting Tool Available to Accompany Framework for an Equitable COVID-19 Homelessness Response
Partners leading the work on the Framework for an Equitable COVID-19 Homelessness Response released a new tool last week to provide guidance for homelessness systems on targeting funding from the CARES Act to communities disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus.
Read more of this article here
Coronavirus – HUD
HUD’s PIH Revises List of Eligible Coronavirus-Related Voucher Administrative Activities
HUD’s Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH) posted “Revised List of Eligible Coronavirus-Related Activities,” adding six eligible uses that public housing agencies (PHAs) may carry out with the $850 million Congress provided through the CARES Act for Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) administration (see Memo 5/4,4/10). PIH posted the revised list dated July 31 on August 24. The prior list was dated April 30 (see Memo, 5/11). The six new eligible activities were already listed in Notice PIH-2020-18, posted on July 31 (see Memo, 4/10).
Read more of this article here
Coronavirus – Other
Recording Available of NLIHC’s August 24 National Call on Coronavirus, Disasters, Housing, and Homelessness
During the most recent national call on coronavirus, disasters, housing, and homelessness, Deborah Weinstein, executive director of the Coalition on Human Needs (CHN), spoke about the national Day of Action hosted by CHN and NLIHC on August 24. Charlie Harak of the National Consumer Law Center discussed short-term and longer policy measures that would prevent utility cut-offs. Charlie’s short-term recommendations included extending existing utility shutoff moratoriums; waiving late fees, deposits, and reconnection fees; allowing longer payment plans; suspending adverse reporting to credit bureaus; revising Low Income Housing Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) rules and documentation requirements; and writing off debt. Long-term recommendations included discounting rates; implementing arrearage management programs; enacting PIPPs (Percentage of Income Payment Plans); and additional LIHEAP funding, which was included in the House-passed “HEROES Act.”
Read more of this article here
Additional Coronavirus Updates - Monday, August 24, 2020
National Updates
Department of Housing and Urban Development
The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) on August 27 extended its foreclosure and eviction moratorium through December 31, 2020 for homeowners with FHA-insured single family mortgages covered under the CARES Act. While this action does provide foreclosure relief to some homeowners, it does not protect a single renter from eviction.
Read more of this article here
Disaster Housing Recovery
Disaster Housing Recovery Updates – August 31, 2020
As with other disasters, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the NLIHC-led Disaster Housing Recovery Coalition stands ready to support disaster-impacted communities to ensure that federal disaster recovery efforts reach impacted households, including the lowest-income and most marginalized people who are often the hardest hit by disasters and have fewest resources to recover.
Read more of this article here
Budget and Appropriations
NLIHC’s Campaign for Housing and Community Development Funding Sends Letter to House and Senate THUD Appropriators on FY21 Spending Bill
NLIHC’s Campaign for Housing and Community Development Funding (CHCDF) sent a letter on August 27 to the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD) thanking the House for their work securing increased funding and meaningful protections for fiscal year (FY) 2021 and urging the Senate to do the same.
Read more of this article here
HUD
HUD SNAPS Office Posts Updated Version of CoC Tool for Analyzing Racial Disparities in Homelessness
HUD’s Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs (SNAPS) announced an updated version of its Continuum of Care (CoC) “CoC Analysis Tool: Race and Ethnicity” on August 25. SNAPS, which is in the Office of Community Planning and Development (CPD), writes that the coronavirus crisis has surfaced and made worse long-standing race and ethnicity disparities in homelessness and housing instability. SNAPS indicates that the tool can help analysis of racial disparities among people experiencing homelessness, and that such an analysis is a critical first step in identifying and changing racial and ethnic bias in CoC systems and services.
Read more of this article here
HUD PIH Notice Extends Assisted Unit Standard for Voucher Rent Reasonableness Assessment
HUD’s Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH) posted Notice PIH 2020-19 on August 21 modifying the standard for determining whether a unit is considered “assisted” in the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) or Project-Based Voucher (PBV) programs when assessing whether the rent paid by a public housing agency (PHA) to an owner is “reasonable.” The notice extends the “assisted unit” standard from limited “Housing Conversion Actions” in earlier Notice PIH 2011-46 to all projects undergoing any conversion action that triggers eligibility for a Tenant Protection Voucher (TPV).
Read more of this article here
HUD PIH Publishes Moving to Work (MTW) Expansion Operations Notice
HUD’s Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH) posted the final “Operations Notice for the Expansion of the Moving to Work (MTW) Demonstration Program” in the Federal Register on August 28. This version of the Operations Notice establishes requirements for implementing the MTW demonstration for public housing agencies (PHAs) applying for one of 100 new MTW slots. The original Operations Notice was published on January 23, 2017 (see Memo, 1/23/17, 5/8/17). The final notice is effective immediately. Next week’s Memo will provide a thorough analysis of the final notice, including a comparison with the previous version (see Memo, 10/9/18, 10/15/18, 10/22/18, 10/29/18, and 12/3/18).
Read more of this article here
Opportunity Starts at Home 
New Podcast Episode with ZERO TO THREE
The Opportunity Starts at Home multisector affordable homes campaign released its 25th podcast episode, entitled “Early Childhood Development & Housing Stability.” In this episode, the campaign speaks to Dr. Myra Jones-Taylor, chief policy officer at ZERO TO THREE. Dr. Jones-Taylor discusses research around baby and toddler development, persistent racial disparities, effective best practices, the short- and long-term impacts of COVID-19, and why ZERO TO THREE is pushing Congress to invest in housing stability. ZERO TO THREE, which is a Roundtable member of the campaign, is a leading national nonprofit that works to ensure that all babies and toddlers have a strong start in life.
Read more of this article here
Housing Leadership Awards
NLIHC, Members of Congress, and Others Honor Jennifer Ho, Bill Faith, and Shauna Sorrells with the 2020 Housing Leadership Awards
NLIHC, joined by Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Tina Smith (D-MN), Representative Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), and others, presented Jennifer Leimaile Ho, Bill Faith, and Shauna Sorrells with the 2020 Housing Leadership Awards during NLIHC’s 38th Annual Housing Leadership Awards Celebration livestreamed on Wednesday, August 26. A recording of the celebration is available at: https://bit.ly/3hWkXIu
Read more of this article here
Our Homes, Our Votes: 2020
Democratic Party and the Republican Party Platforms Address Affordable Housing
The recently adopted Democratic Party platform and Republican Party platform from 2016 (the Republicans did not adopt a new platform in 2020) both address housing-related policies, but the differences are stark. The Democratic platform promises robust investments in affordable housing production and rental assistance, strong efforts to address systemic racism and discrimination, and actions to address the coronavirus pandemic. The Republican platform seeks to advance responsible homeownership, reduce the role of the federal government in housing policy, and roll back the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Rule.
Read more of this article here
"Protecting Low-Income People from Voter Intimidation and Voter Caging” - Webinar on September 17
Learn what you need to know about “Protecting Low-Income People from Voter Intimidation and Voter Caging Tactics” during the next NLIHC Our Homes, Our Votes 2020 webinar on September 17 at 3 pm ET. This webinar will explore how nonprofits and community volunteers can best protect low-income people from voter-intimidation efforts. Register for this webinar and NLIHC’s entire “Third Thursdays at Three” 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
NLIHC Releases Out of Reach 2020 in Spanish (Fuera de Alcance 2020)
NLIHC released a Spanish edition of its report Out of Reach: The High Cost of Housing 2020 (Fuera de Alcance: El Alto Costo de la Vivienda 2020) on August 25. The report documents the significant growing gap between renters’ wages and the cost of rental housing throughout the U.S.
Read more of this article here
Housing Voucher Denial Rates Higher in Boundaries for High-Performing Schools
In “Why Schools Should Care about Housing Voucher Discrimination,” scholars at the Urban Institute find that landlords were more likely to deny applicants with Housing Choice Vouchers in the boundaries of high-performing school districts. In jurisdictions that had voucher nondiscrimination laws, some landlords still told would-be renters they did not take vouchers, but the school-performance gap was mitigated or erased.
Read more of this article here
Resource
Updated Data Available for the National Housing Preservation Database
The National Housing Preservation Database, maintained by NLIHC and the Public and Affordable Housing Research Corporation (PAHRC), is a tool for advocates and researchers to identify federally funded properties at-risk of being lost from the affordable housing stock as a result of expiring rent restrictions. The database was recently updated. The data include updated subsidy and property information from HUD, Treasury, U.S. Rural Development programs, including Low Income Housing Tax Credits, Section 8, Section 202 Direct Loans, Section 515, Section 514, Public Housing, and HUD insured mortgages. This latest update also includes new data on Public Housing REAC scores and buildings with 11 or more units assisted by Project-Based Vouchers and Mod Rehab.
Read more of this article here
Fact of the Week
In Gulf Coast Metro Areas, 3 in 10 Extremely Low-Income Renters Lack Access to a Vehicle for Evacuation
Source: American Community Survey PUMS, 2018.
Events
Join Tenant Talk Live! This Monday at 6 pm ET
Join resident leaders and NLIHC staff for the next Tenant Talk Live! webinar. We will discuss how low-income residents can mobilize for the 2020 election. The next Tenant Talk Live! bimonthly call/webinar with resident leaders from across the country will take place next Monday, August 31 at 6 pm ET (5 pm CT, 4 pm MT, 3 pm, PT). Register at: https://bit.ly/3dNekGP
Read more of this article here
From the Field
Program in Rhode Island Creates Incentives for Landlords to Permanently House People Experiencing Homelessness
The State of Rhode Island partnered with United Way, the Realtors Association, and community providers such as NLIHC’s state partner, Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless, to provide permanent housing for 123 people who had been experiencing homelessness and staying in hotels since the onset of the pandemic. The Housing NOW campaign, led by the Housing Action Team, secured 100 pledged units from landlords in one month. Landlords were willing to accept rapid rehousing vouchers due to a variety of incentives. The sustained efforts of the team to house additional unsheltered people is critical, given the filing of over 400 eviction cases in the first month alone since the reopening of district courts in June and the filing of over 400 eviction cases in that first month alone.
Read more of this article here
NLIHC News
NLIHC Welcomes Policy Intern Emmy Cohen
NLIHC is pleased to welcome Emmy Cohen as a policy intern for the fall. Emmy is pursuing her Master of Social Work with a specialization in community, administration, and policy practice at Howard University. As a graduate intern with The Community Builders in Washington, D.C. and Virginia, Emmy witnessed the impacts of state-level implementation of the Choice Neighborhood Initiative and the Housing Trust Fund. She is excited to join the NLIHC policy team to push forward the Coalition’s agenda. Emmy earned her Bachelor of Arts in women’s, gender, and sexuality studies and religion at American University
NLIHC in the News
NLIHC in the News for the Week of August 23
- “Why a historic eviction wave is bearing down on the U.S.,” The Washington Post, August 27 at: https://tinyurl.com/y5yd8dhn
- “Cincinnati’s bold new law could help renters survive the eviction crisis,” HuffPost, August 27 at: https://tinyurl.com/y57vtwua
- “Hurricane Laura’s storm surge is predicted to be ‘unsurvivable’,” Mother Jones August 26 at: https://tinyurl.com/y4nzpa7p
- “People need basic resources to evacuate safely from disaster zones” Marketplace, August 26 at: https://tinyurl.com/y3eb4y96
- “Kentucky announces eviction relief fund after U.S. moratorium expires,” Newsweek August 24 at: https://tinyurl.com/y5yh5tad
- “Debt, eviction and hunger: millions fall back into crisis as stimulus and safety nets vanish,” The Washington Post, August 23 at: https://tinyurl.com/y4gx2kmg
NLIHC STAFF
Kyle Arbuckle, Housing Advocacy Organizer, x227
Xavier Arriaga, Policy Analyst, x231
Andrew Aurand, Vice President for Research, x245
Victoria Bourret, Housing Advocacy Organizer, x244
Alayna Calabro, Policy Analyst–COVID-19 Response, x252
Josephine Clarke, Executive Assistant, x226
Bairy Diakite, Operations Manager, x254
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
Esther Omole, Graphic Design/Communications Intern
Sarah Saadian, 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
Rebecca Yae, Senior Research Analyst–COVID-19 Response
Diane Yentel, President and CEO, x225
Shuting Zhou, Graphic Design/Communication Intern, x240
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