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Volume 25, Issue 38
September 21, 2020
In This Issue:
Take Action
Action Needed: Congress Must Act to Ensure Critical COVID-19 Relief
Nearly two weeks have passed since Congress came back from August recess. Discussions on the next COVID-19 relief bill have remained stalled since Senate Republicans failed to advance their “skinny” package on September 10 (see Memo, 09/14). While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued its much needed federal eviction moratorium—an important step in providing protections for renters and postponing a tsunami of evictions—it was only a half-measure that creates a large financial burden on renters when the moratorium expires (see Memo, 09/08).
Read more of this article here
Take Action Now: Comment Period for HUD’s Anti-Transgender Rule Ends Tomorrow!
The last day to submit comments opposing HUD’s anti-transgender rule is tomorrow, September 22. The rule has been open to a 60-day public comment period since HUD published its proposed changes to the Equal Access Rule in the Federal Register on July 24 (see Memo, 07/27). Tuesday will be the last day for the public to submit comments urging HUD to rescind its anti-transgender proposal. Once the public comment period closes, HUD must review all public comments and consider concerns and contradictory evidence about the proposal before publishing its final rule.
Read more of this article here
Coronavirus – Congress 
Senator Collins Calls for Rental Assistance in COVID-19 Relief Legislation
In a September 17 letter to Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin, Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) called for the White House to include emergency rental assistance in any future COVID-19 relief legislation. Senator Collins is the first Senate Republican to so publicly call for emergency rental assistance.
Read more of this article here
Senator Sherrod Brown and Colleagues Send Letter to President Trump Urging Administration to Support Emergency Rental Assistance and Protections
Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, led 30 of his Senate colleagues in sending a letter to President Trump on September 17, urging him to work with Congress to enact bipartisan legislation that provides the emergency assistance and protections millions of renters need to remain stably housed during the pandemic.
Read more of this article here
House Financial Services Committee Holds Hearing on FHFA’s Response to COVID-19
The House Financial Services Committee held on September 16 a hearing to review the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s (FHFA) response to the coronavirus pandemic. Mark Calabria, FHFA director, served as the hearing’s sole witness. Members discussed the implications of a half-percent fee that would apply to most refinance transactions for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac-backed mortgages, costing the average borrower $1,400 over the life of the loan.
Read more of this article here
Coronavirus, Homelessness, and Housing
NLIHC Urges Federal Agencies to Notify Tenants of Eviction Moratorium
NLIHC and the National Housing Law Project (NHLP) sent a letter on September 15 to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, HUD Secretary Ben Carson, Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, and Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Mark Calabria urging the agencies to require federally supported rental property owners and housing authorities to provide tenants written notice of their rights under the federal eviction moratorium and steps they must take to be protected.
Read more of this article here
CDC Eviction Moratorium Declaration Form Available in Multiple Languages
Versions of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) eviction moratorium “declaration” form in nine languages is currently available on NLIHC’s National Moratorium webpage. Tenants must provide a declaration to their landlord to avoid being evicted for being unable to pay the rent. The moratorium expires on December 31, 2020. Please share the translations of the declaration form widely so that as many people as possible can be protected from eviction. Check NLIHC’s National Moratorium webpage periodically, as additional languages might be added.
Read more of this article here
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities Launches Push to Help People Receive Stimulus Checks
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) launched on September 14 a Final 30 Days Push campaign to help eligible people apply for their Economic Impact Payments (EIPs), better known as “stimulus checks,” before the October 15 deadline.
Read more of this article here
 Ta-Nehisi Coates to Address “Racial Equity and Housing Justice during and after COVID-19” on October 6!
Join NLIHC and Ta-Nehisi Coates, National Book Award winner and distinguished writer in residence at NYU’s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute for a conversation on “Racial Equity and Housing Justice during and after COVID-19” on October 6 at 1 pm ET. Register today for this live-stream event at: https://bit.ly/32yRqi6. Be sure to submit questions for Mr. Coates through the registration page or via social media using #RacialEquityandCOVID.
Read more of this article here
Join NLIHC’s National Call on Coronavirus, Disasters, Housing, and Homelessness Today at 2:30 pm ET
Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) will join today’s (September 21) national call on coronavirus, disasters, housing, and homelessness from 2:30-4 pm ET. Jim Baker of Private Equity Stakeholder Project and John Pollock of the National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel will provide updates on how the CDC eviction moratorium is affecting eviction filings and the continued need for tenants’ right to counsel in eviction cases. Roxy Caines will discuss the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities’ 30-Day Campaign for Stimulus Payment Outreach. We will receive field updates from communities impacted by the most recent natural disasters, congressional updates on COVID-19 relief and disaster supplemental bills, and more.
Register for the national call at: https://tinyurl.com/ru73qan
See the full agenda here.
Coronavirus – HUD
HUD PIH Extends Time to Spend Some CARES Act Public Housing and Voucher Funds
HUD’s Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH) posted Notice PIH-2020-24 extending the deadline for public housing agencies (PHAs) to spend CARES Act supplemental Public Housing Operating Funds and Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Administrative funds for certain activities. The notice, posted on September 14, also covers many other topics that are not of immediate interest to residents and advocates.
Read more of this article here
HUD PIH Announces Additional Mainstream Vouchers and CARES Act Waivers
HUD’s Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH) posted Notice PIH-2020-22 announcing an opportunity for public housing agencies (PHAs) to receive new Mainstream Vouchers. The Notice also provides three statutory and regulatory waivers for Mainstream Vouchers. The CARES Act authorizes PIH to offer $150 million in Mainstream Voucher funding carried over from FY18 and FY19 appropriations in order to help PHAs prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus. The funding is available on a non-competitive basis. Mainstream Vouchers serve households that include non-elderly people with disabilities.
Read more of this article here
HOME Program Extends Time to Qualify or Requalify as Urban Counties or Consortia
HUD’s Office of Affordable Housing Programs (OAHP) issued a Memorandum extending to November 30, 2020 the deadline for local governments to qualify or requalify as an urban county or consortium of local governments in order to receive a formula allocation in the next fiscal year from the HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) program. The September 11 Memorandum explains that due to the coronavirus pandemic, local governments may have difficulty completing the process.
Read more of this article here
Coronavirus – Other
NLIHC Testifies at Washington State House Civil Rights and Judiciary Committee on the COVID-19 Housing Crisis
NLIHC President and CEO Diane Yentel testified on September 16 before the Washington State House Civil Rights and Judiciary Committee on the COVID-19 housing crisis. Yentel discussed national and Washington-specific data on housing and homelessness, racial disparities in housing, and the urgent need for congressional action to prevent the impending eviction crisis.
Read more of this article here
Recording Available of NLIHC’s September 14 National Call on “Coronavirus, Disasters, Housing, and Homelessness”
During the most recent national call on coronavirus, disasters, housing, and homelessness, experts discussed the federal response to the latest natural disasters. Shannon Singleton from Oregon Governor Kate Brown’s office, Alison Eisinger of the Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness, Seana O’Shaughnessy of the Community Housing Improvement Program in California, Margot Kushel from Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiatives at University of California San Francisco, and Alfredo Cruz from HousingLOUISIANA provided field updates.
Read more of this article here
Additional Coronavirus Updates - Tuesday, September 21, 2020
National Updates
Advocacy
The NLIHC-led Disaster Housing Recovery Coalition continues to advocate a broad array of resources and protections, including emergency rental assistance and eviction prevention assistance, a national moratorium on evictions and foreclosures, and emergency funds for homelessness service providers, housing authorities, and housing providers, among other recommendations. For more information, see DHRC’s full list of recommendations.
Read more of this article here
Additional Disaster Housing Recovery Updates – Tuesday, September 21, 2020
The NLIHC-led Disaster Housing Recovery Coalition stands ready to convene and support disaster-impacted communities to ensure that federal disaster recovery efforts reach all impacted households, including the lowest-income and most marginalized people who are often the hardest-hit by disasters and have the fewest resources to recover.
Wildfires in the West
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on September 16 announced the availability of assistance for residents and agricultural producers affected by the recent wildfires.
California (DR-4558-CA):
Federal Response
The major disaster declaration for California wildfires has been amended to provide more federal assistance to affected areas via FEMA’s Public Assistance (PA) program.
Read more of this article here
Congress
NLIHC Testifies at Senate Budget Committee Roundtable on Federal Housing Assistance Programs
NLIHC President and CEO Diane Yentel testified on September 16 before the Senate Budget Committee’s roundtable on Examining Federal Housing Assistance Programs. In her testimony, Diane addressed the need for deeply affordable housing, the declining federal resources, how COVID-19 exacerbated the housing crisis and created an acute eviction crisis, how investments can alleviate the underlying affordable housing crisis, the need for increased federal investments in affordable housing, and the duplication and consolidation of federal housing programs.
Read more of this article here
HUD
HUD PIH Posts Guidance on Using Proceeds from Disposition of Public Housing or Voluntary Conversion to Vouchers
HUD’s Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH) posted Notice PIH 2020-23 providing guidance to public housing agencies (PHAs) about the requirements for obtaining approval to use proceeds from disposition of public housing or voluntary conversion to Housing Choice Vouchers (HCVs). Disposition generally involves selling public housing but can also include providing a ground lease of public housing property or transferring public housing. Residents and advocates should be aware of how the asset of public housing will be used after disposition or conversion to vouchers, given HUD’s emphasis on public housing repositioning (see Memo 11/19/18).
Read more of this article here
 Opportunity Starts at Home
Majority of Republican Voters Support Emergency Rental Assistance, Homeless Assistance, and Eviction Moratorium
Earlier this summer, the Opportunity Starts at Home multisector affordable homes campaign commissioned a national public opinion poll which revealed that majorities of Republicans and conservative Republicans support emergency rental assistance, homeless assistance, and eviction moratorium during the COVID-19 pandemic. Eighty-seven percent of Republicans and 84% of conservative Republicans favor providing emergency rental assistance for people who are struggling to afford the rent and are at serious risk of eviction as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. Eighty percent of Republicans and 77% of conservative Republicans favor expanding funding for homeless assistance programs that minimize the number of people living in large shelters by providing them with alternative individual spaces for isolation and self-quarantine. Eighty-two percent of Republicans and 78% of conservative Republicans favor enacting a uniform, nationwide policy that stops all evictions during the coronavirus outbreak.
Read more of this article here
Our Homes, Our Votes: 2020
National Voter Registration Day is Tomorrow, September 22!
NLIHC’s Our Homes, Our Votes 2020 is committed to strengthening our democracy by registering low-income voters on September 22, National Voter Registration Day. Celebrate and do your part in the community by organizing a voter registration drive in person or online. Last year, the National Voter Registration Day effort registered almost half a million voters and had more than 2.5 million social media impressions. Even with this year’s challenges, our goal is to get more low-income renters registered to vote. National Voter Registration Day relies heavily on partnerships with state and local organizations.
Read more of this article here
Court Issues Major Setback for Voting Rights in Florida
A Federal Appeals Court dealt a significant blow to Florida’s successful referendum to restore the vote to citizens convicted of felonies. This is a major setback for voting rights and will impede efforts to help formerly incarcerated individuals register in time for the 2020 election.
Read more of this article here
Research
Research Finds Housing Assistance Provides Housing Stabilization and Economic Growth to Low-Income Households
A report from the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley, “Recession and Recovery: The Critical Role of Housing Assistance in Promoting Economic Security for Low-Income Households,” examines how affordable housing influences economic mobility. The report finds that the length of a household’s tenure in subsidized housing is positively associated with increases in household income over time. Employed residents living in subsidized housing saw household incomes rise 20% in real terms between 2004 and 2019. Almost all income gains, however, went to households making more than $40,000 per year. The report documents evidence that very low-income workers, seniors, and people with disabilities need greater subsidies than the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program can provide.
Read more of this article here
Despite Record Low Poverty Rate in 2019, Inequalities Persist
The Census Bureau released its annual national-level income and poverty statistics in Income and Poverty in the United States: 2019 and The Supplemental Poverty Measure: 2019. Between 2018 and 2019, poverty continued to decrease, while median household income and earnings increased. The 2019 poverty rate of 10.5% was the lowest estimate ever reported, down 1.3 percentage points from 2018. Despite this progress, significant disparities still existed across racial and ethnic groups, by household type, and by sex. Because these reports estimate rates for 2019, the effect of COVID-19 on poverty and income is not captured.
Read more of this article here
Fact of the Week
Housing Assistance Lifted 2.6 Million People Out of Poverty in 2019
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, “The Supplemental Poverty Measure: 2019.”
From the Field
Housing Advocates Make the Case that Housing is a Climate Issue, Support the “Global Warming Solutions Act”
Last winter the Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition, an NLIHC state partner, and a number of its members signed onto the Climate Action Coalition's comprehensive set of climate action priorities, including the “Global Warming Solutions Act” (H. 688). This bill would cut carbon emissions, help rebuild Vermont’s economy, build healthy and resilient communities, promote the use of natural and working lands to capture and store carbon, and help communities adapt to the already changing climate. Governor Phil Scott vetoed the bill on September 16 and the House overrode his veto by a vote of 103 to 47. The Senate will vote this week whether to also override the veto and is expected to do so.
Read more of this article here
Resources
2019 American Housing Survey Data Now Available
HUD and the Census Bureau released new housing data from the 2019 American Housing Survey (AHS) through the AHS Table Creator. The Table Creator allows users to create custom tables of housing and demographic estimates at the national level, as well as for nine states and 25 metropolitan areas.
Read more of this article here
NLIHC News
NLIHC Seeks Housing Advocacy Organizer
NLIHC seeks a housing advocacy organizer who will be responsible for maintaining and expanding NLIHC membership and mobilizing advocates on federal policy priorities in a manner that advances the Coalition’s mission. This is a one–year position that plays a key role in designing and implementing field strategies for various campaign efforts such as the Our Homes, Our Votes: 2020 non-partisan civic engagement project, National Housing Week of Action, coronavirus relief legislation, the national Housing Trust Fund (HTF), federal budget priorities, and other campaigns. The housing advocacy organizer supports outreach activities, develops materials for use by state and local advocates, and supports low income renters with organizing guidance and tools. The housing advocacy organizer reports to the field director.
Read more of this article here
NLIHC Welcomes New Graphic Design/Communications Intern Richard Mbouombouo
NLIHC welcomes Richard Mbouombouo, the coalition’s fall 2020 graphic design/communications intern. Richard is a senior at Yale where he is currently majoring in ethics, politics, and economics. A Chicago native, Richard developed an interest in affordable housing and inclusive economic development after working with the Greater Chatham Initiative (GCI), a Chicago-based non-profit centered on neighborhood development and economic growth within the Greater Chatham area. Since then, he has declared his concentration in inclusive economic development and continues to engage with affordable housing policy through his fellowship at the Yale Institution for Social and Policy Studies. Richard is excited to be a part of the NLIHC team and hopes to leverage his background to work for equitable and inclusive housing policies.
NLIHC in the News
NLIHC in the News for the Week of September 13
The following are some of the news stories that NLIHC contributed to during the week of September 13:
- “Can’t pay your rent? ‘Lawtech’ Is Here to Help.” Bloomberg News, September 18 at: https://tinyurl.com/y2laqd5r
- “COVID-related evictions halted for now, but does an eviction crisis loom for 2021?” Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), September 17 at: https://tinyurl.com/y2h5flue
- “Thrown out of home, at a time when a roof is more important than ever,” NPR, September 16 at: https://tinyurl.com/y67rzf3s
- “Housing expert: eviction moratoriums are ‘not enough’ during pandemic,” Yahoo Money, September 15 at: https://tinyurl.com/y4galgra
- “With eviction moratorium ending, declaration form could help tenants,” Fox Illinois, September 15 at: https://tinyurl.com/y2leywq8
- “Affordable housing owners rally to get out the vote,” Real Estate Weekly, September 15 at: https://tinyurl.com/y4b8rsz8
- “Trump’s eviction moratorium aims to protect renters, but evictions continue,” Forbes Advisor, September 14 at: https://tinyurl.com/y3hhevmw
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
Emmy Cohen, Policy Intern
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
Richard Mbouombouo, 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
Sophie Siebach-Glover, Field Intern
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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