Coronavirus, Housing, and Homelessness -- Highlights
Federal Eviction Moratorium Remains in Effect, Despite Court Ruling
The federal eviction moratorium issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) remains in effect, despite the Federal District Court of Eastern Texas ruling in Terkel v. CDC on February 25 that the vital measure violates the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution. Brian M. Boynton, acting assistant attorney general for the Justice Department's Civil Division, announced on February 27 that the federal government appealed the harmful decision.
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House Passes Coronavirus Relief Package with Over $40 Billion for Housing and Homelessness
The House of Representatives passed by a vote of 219 to 212 the “American Rescue Plan Act,” a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package containing $40 billion in essential housing and homelessness assistance, including $26 billion for rental assistance and $5 billion to assist people who are homeless. These investments will help prevent millions of low-income people from losing their homes during the pandemic and will provide cities and states with the resources they need to help people experiencing homelessness find and remain safely housed throughout the duration of the pandemic and beyond.
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NLIHC and NHLP Urge HUD, USDA, and Treasury to Notify Tenants of CDC Eviction Moratorium
NLIHC and the National Housing Law Project (NHLP) sent letters on February 23 to HUD, the Treasury Department, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) urging the agencies to take immediate action to ensure renters living in federally supported properties know their rights under the federal eviction moratorium issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). NLIHC and NHLP sent a similar letter last September calling on the agencies to notify tenants of the eviction moratorium.
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Coronavirus and Emergency Rental Assistance
Treasury Publishes Revised Emergency Rental Assistance FAQ with Significant Improvements
The U.S. Department of the Treasury released on February 22 a new Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document to help states and communities quickly distribute more than $25 billion in emergency rental assistance (ERA) to renters in need. The revised FAQ directly addresses the significant flaws in the previous guidance issued by the Trump administration and includes many of the recommendations made by NLIHC and the NLIHC-led Disaster Housing Recovery Coalition (DHRC). The DHRC developed these recommendations with direct input from local stakeholders about challenges and lessons learned in responding to the pandemic. The recommendations are also based on NLIHC’s analysis and tracking of more than 600 state and local rental assistance programs created or expanded during the pandemic.
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New Resource on Targeting Emergency Rental Assistance for Homelessness Prevention from the Framework for an Equitable COVID-19 Homelessness Response
Partners leading the work on the Framework for an Equitable COVID-19 Homelessness Response on February 25 released a new resource to help communities target emergency rental assistance to prevent homelessness and address racial inequities. “Having the Greatest Impact on Preventing Homelessness and Addressing Racial Inequities with New Federal Emergency Rental Assistance Resources” provides communities with steps they can take to ensure emergency rental assistance (ERA) programs are designed to target households at greatest risk of housing instability and homelessness while centralizing racial justice and equity.
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Coronavirus, Disasters, Housing, and Homelessness -- Other
Join NLIHC's National Call on Coronavirus, Disasters, Housing, and Homelessness Today at 2:30 pm ET
Join today’s (March 1) national call on coronavirus, disasters, housing, and homelessness at 2:30-4 pm ET to hear more about the ruling against the CDC eviction moratorium and needed next steps to prevent tens of millions of people from losing their homes during the pandemic. We will also hear about the new Treasury guidance for Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) programs, advancing equity in ERA programs, and increasing access to vaccines for people experiencing homelessness. We will receive field updates, get the latest from Capitol Hill on the “American Rescue Plan Act,” and more.
Register for the national call at: https://tinyurl.com/ru73qan
See the full agenda here.
Recording Available of NLIHC's February 22 National Call on Coronavirus, Disasters, Housing and Homelessness
During the most recent national call on coronavirus, disasters, housing, and homelessness, participants heard about the impact of the winter storm in Texas, discussed the Department of Treasury’s new FAQ on emergency rental assistance (ERA), learned about state and local efforts to expand right to counsel laws, and discussed the how the new FEMA Executive Order could be improved to serve people with disabilities living in congregate settings. The call also included field updates and an update about the status of the COVID-19 relief bill.
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 Additional Coronavirus Updates - March 1, 2021
New NLIHC Resources
National Updates
Biden Administration
President Biden announced on February 24 that the COVID-19 national emergency declared last March will remain in effect beyond March 1, 2021, given that the pandemic continues to cause significant risk to the public health and safety of the country.
Department of Veterans Affairs
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced it will extend existing moratoriums on evictions and foreclosures and VA loan forbearance requests to June 30.
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Additional Disaster Housing Recovery Updates -- March 1, 2021
The NLIHC-led Disaster Housing Recovery Coalition is convening and supporting 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.
Learn more about the DHRC’s policy recommendations here.
Winter Storm
President Biden on February 20 approved a Major Disaster Declaration for Texas, making FEMA Individual Assistance (IA) available in 77 counties impacted by the recent winter weather. The Major Disaster Declaration was expanded to enable Texas homeowners and renters in 31 additional counties to apply for IA. This assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help survivors recover from the effects of the severe winter storm. See FEMA’s DR-4586-TX page for more information. HUD on February 22 announced that President Biden’s major disaster declaration allows HUD to offer foreclosure relief and other assistance to Texans affected by the severe winter storm.
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 Federal Budget and Appropriations
Sign Your Organization on to a Letter Supporting Increased Congressional Funding for Housing and Homelessness Resources!
Advocates for housing, community development, and ending homelessness are collaborating on a letter urging Congress to provide the highest possible funding for HUD and US Department of Agriculture (USDA) housing and community development programs for fiscal year (FY) 2022. NLIHC encourages all our member and partner organizations to sign on to the letter at: tinyurl.com/4vq836e6
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Congress
NLIHC Endorses Two Bills Acknowledging the Vital Importance of Affordable, Stable Housing
NLIHC endorsed two proposals acknowledging the fundamental necessity of affordable, stable housing. The first, the “Inalienable Rights Constitutional Amendment,” was introduced on January 28 by Representatives Alma Adams (D-NC), Janice Schakowsky (D-IL), and Ilhan Omar (D-MN) as a joint resolution proposing to amend the Constitution to recognize peoples’ fundamental right to life, liberty, and property, including housing, health care, education, and nutrition.
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House Passes the “Equality Act” to Expand LBGTQ Protections
The House of Representatives voted 224 to 206 to approve the “Equality Act,” which would expand civil rights protections to LBGTQ individuals by banning discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in housing, education, employment, and other areas. NLIHC strongly supports the bill, which now heads to the Senate. The bill was first introduced in 2019, passing in the House but blocked for further consideration in the Senate (see Memo 05/20/2019).
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HUD
NLIHC Urges HUD to Pause MTW Implementation, Issues Summary of Final MTW Operations Notice
NLIHC sent a memorandum urging HUD to pause implementation of the Moving to Work (MTW) Demonstration expansion and consider NLIHC concerns with the final MTW Operations Notice. Separately, NLIHC has prepared a summary of the final Operations Notice, including all of the MTW Waivers in Appendix I of the notice.
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DHS
Supreme Court to Review Trump Administration’s Public Charge Rule
The Supreme Court agreed on February 22 to hear an appeal of the recent Public Charge Rule preliminary injunction, evaluating the legality of the harmful rule (see Memo 08/19/2019). The Court agreed to hear an appeal filed by the previous administration after the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York ruled in favor of the plaintiffs in DHS, et al. v. State of New York, et al and granted temporary injunctions against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Department of State (DOS) Public Charge Rules (see Memo, 08/03/2020). The hearing will likely not occur until the end of 2021.
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NLIHC Events
NLIHC and National League of Cities to Host Webinar on FEMA Reimbursements and Non-Congregate Sheltering
The NLIHC-led Disaster Housing Recovery Coalition (DHRC) and the National League of Cities (NLC) will hold a webinar discussing the use of FEMA reimbursements to house individuals experiencing homelessness and residents of congregate care facilities in non-congregate shelters such as hotel rooms. The webinar will be held on Tuesday, March 16 at 1:30 pm ET. Register for the free webinar here.
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Make a Contribution to Honor the Housing Justice Network and other NLIHC 2021 Housing Leadership Award Recipients
Make a contribution to NLIHC in honor of 2021 Housing Leadership Award Honoree the Housing Justice Network (HJN) of the National Housing Law Project. HJN will receive the Sheila Crowley Housing Justice Award for the Network’s outstanding efforts for over forty years serving on the front lines to advance housing rights and over past year to keep families safely housed during the pandemic. This award is named after former NLIHC President and CEO Sheila Crowley, who led NLIHC for more than 17 years. Donate to NLIHC in the Housing Justice Network’s honor as an individual or as an organization. Register to attend the Virtual Housing Leadership Awards Celebration on April 28, 4-5 pm ET, free to the public, at: https://bit.ly/3quNxWb
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“Sharing Stories of Lived-Experience to Bring About Change” to be Featured at NLIHC Virtual Housing Policy Forum 2021, March 30-31
NLIHC’s Virtual Housing Policy Forum 2021: A New Day, taking place March 30-31 from 1-5 pm ET, will feature a special presentation guiding attendees through the process of crafting impactful personal stories for sharing in advocacy settings, such as when communicating with elected officials and other decision makers. This expert-led conversation with Pamela Covington and Kali Daugherty from RESULTS will cover such topics as how to select a relevant story topic, develop a story, effectively deliver it, and incorporate a call to action. Register today to attend the Forum for this and other compelling sessions at: http://bit.ly/NLIHCForum21
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Upcoming NLIHC Webinars: Advocacy 101 and NLIHC Policy Priorities
NLIHC’s annual Capitol Hill Day will take place virtually this year on April 1. In preparation, NLIHC will host two webinars in March to equip Capitol Hill Day participants and other advocates with effective advocacy skills and NLIHC’s policy priorities. NLIHC’s Capitol Hill Day is part of NLIHC’s 2021 Virtual Housing Policy Forum: A New Day, March 30-31.
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Tenant Talk Live! Surveillance in Rental Housing
Join resident leaders and NLIHC staff for the next Tenant Talk Live! webinar. Representatives from the Atlantic Plaza Towers Tenant Association, Fabian Rogers and Tranae Moran, will join us to discuss how they won a judgment against their landlord’s use of facial recognition cameras on the property. This Tenant Talk Live! will take place today at 6 pm ET (5 pm CT, 4 pm MT, 3 pm PT). Register at: https://bit.ly/3dNekGP
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 Opportunity Starts at Home
CVS Health Invests $114 Million in Affordable Housing
CVS Health announced this week that it invested $114 million in affordable housing over the past year, leading to 2,800 affordable housing units built or rehabilitated in 30 cities across 12 states. The investment stems from the company’s Destination Health plan to create programs that address the social determinants of health. This initiative offers yet another example of the growing awareness within the healthcare sector that housing stability is foundational to good health. Other insurers such as Anthem, Centene, Cigna, Humana and UnitedHealth Group, are also moving to prioritize housing.
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Resources
Now Available! Tenant Talk - The Enduring Crisis: Fighting for Racial and Housing Justice
NLIHC has released the Winter 2021 edition of Tenant Talk, a publication dedicated to low-income tenants and their allies. The newest edition primarily focuses on the intersection of racial and housing justice.
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Report on How Strengthened State Protections Can Prevent Utility Disconnections for Those with Serious Illness
A recent report from the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC), “Protecting Seriously Ill Consumers from Utility Disconnections: What States Can Do to Save Lives Now,” offers guidance on how states can prevent utility shutoffs among seriously ill individuals. The report reviews serious illness protection statutes in all 50 states and finds that while most states have some kind of enforceable protection, many of the rules are overly restrictive and not widely known about. The report offers several key recommendations to strengthen state statutes. These include broadening eligibility criteria and expanding protection periods to last at least 30 days. State statutes should also require utility companies to notify customers regularly about these protections and conduct affirmative outreach to identify eligible households.
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Research
Study: Low-Income and Latino Households Face Disaster Recovery Challenges
A recent paper published by the Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado, Boulder, “Damage, Dislocation, and Displacement After Low-Attention Disasters,” documents a case study of disaster impact and recovery following a tornado in Marshalltown, Iowa. The authors found that concentrated storm damage in low-income neighborhoods, lack of insurance, and limited federal recovery resources created a variety of recovery challenges, particularly for low-income and Latino households.
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Evictions Associated with Depression, Higher Stress, and Worse Health
An article in Social Science & Medicine, “The health impacts of eviction: Evidence from the national longitudinal study of adolescent to adult health,” finds robust evidence of an association between evictions and a greater likelihood of depression among young adults. Increased levels of stress among those who had experienced eviction explained nearly 20% of this effect, indicating that eviction can be a significant stressor in early adulthood. Likewise, individuals who experienced an eviction had worse self-rated health than those without an eviction.
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Fact of the Week
Stakeholders in Urban Communities Anticipate a Slow COVID-19 Recovery
Source: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, “The Effects of COVID-19, as Reported by Local Communities,” February 2021.
From the Field
Santa Monica Considers Right-to-Return Ordinance for Communities Displaced by Highway Expansion in 1950s and 1960s
Based on recommendations from Santa Monica’s Right-to-Return working group, the Santa Monica Housing Commission voted 4-3 to give prioritization to “Right-to-Return” applicants for their Below Market Housing Program. This Right-to-Return criteria would prioritize residents with documented proof that they, their parents, legal guardians, or grandparents were displaced from the Belmar or the 10 Freeway-Pico Corridor areas in the 1950s and 1960s.
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NLIHC News 
NLIHC Seeks Development Specialist
NLIHC seeks a development specialist who will support NLIHC fund development activities and events that enable the Coalition to obtain the necessary resources to fulfill its mission of achieving socially just public policy to ensure the lowest-income people in America have decent, accessible, affordable homes. The individual will also support NLIHC with other key operational needs, reporting to the NLIHC chief operating officer, with guidance and oversight from the NLIHC development coordinator.
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NLIHC in the News
NLIHC in the News for the Week of February 21
The following are some of the news stories that NLIHC contributed to during the week of February 21:
- “Ruling overturning CDC eviction moratorium injects confusion into housing market,” Washington Post, February 26 at: https://wapo.st/3uCTuCW
- “Texas judge rules federal eviction moratorium unconstitutional. Lawyers and advocates disagree on what that means for tenants,” Texas Tribune, February 26 at: http://bit.ly/3qYovyN
- “Federal judge blocks CDC’s national eviction moratorium, but advocates say renters are still protected,” MarketWatch, February 26 at: http://on.mktw.net/3kqBpTQ
- “JP Morgan reveals the latest part of its $30 billion commitment to support Black and brown communities,” Business Insider, February 25 at: http://bit.ly/300Icdn
- “Evictions, foreclosures ban back-play bills coming due for renters, homeowners,” Washington Times, February 21 at: http://bit.ly/37OZFdq
NLIHC STAFF
Kyle Arbuckle, Housing Advocacy Organizer, x227
Olivia Arena, Housing Advocacy Organizer, x209
Xavier Arriaga, Policy Analyst, x231
Andrew Aurand, Vice President for Research, x245
Victoria Bourret, Senior Organizer for Housing Advocacy, x244
Jen Butler, Director, Media Relations and Communications, x239
Alayna Calabro, Policy Analyst–COVID-19 Response, x252
Josephine Clarke, Senior 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
Jameil Johnson, Graphic Design/Communications intern
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
Sarah Saadian, Vice President, Public Policy, x228
Khara Norris, Senior Director of Administration, x242
Neetu Nair, Research Analyst, x291
Noah Patton, Housing Policy Analyst, x227
Ikra Rafi, Creative Services Specialist, x246
Catherine Reeves, Development Coordinator, x234
Brooke Schipporeit, Housing Advocacy Organizer, x233
Kevin Tan, Graphic Design/Communications intern
Dan Threet, Research Analyst, x202
Chantelle Wilkinson, Housing Campaign Manager, x230
Renee Willis, Vice President for Field and Communications, x247
Rebecca Yae, Senior Research Analyst–COVID-19 Response
Diane Yentel, President and CEO, x225
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