At our most recent (November 15) national call on “HoUSed: Universal, Stable, and Affordable Housing,” we discussed advocacy efforts to prevent evictions in HUD housing, provided updates on the “Build Back Better Act,” heard field updates from the field, and more.
Deborah Thrope of the National Housing Law Project (NHLP) discussed a letter led by NHLP and NLIHC and signed by 49 national, state and local advocacy organizations urging HUD to do more to prevent evictions in HUD-assisted housing. The letter was sent in response to a rule HUD issued requiring providers of public and Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA) housing to give tenants facing eviction for nonpayment of rent at least 30 days’ notice before a tenant must vacate a unit, and requiring housing providers to inform tenants of the availability of emergency rental assistance (see Memo, 10/12). In the letter, advocates argue that HUD can and must do more to prevent evictions for nonpayment of rent in its properties (see Memo, 11/15).
NLIHC’s Sarah Saadian provided updates on the Build Back Better Act and next steps for advocacy. Negotiations on the bill will continue into December, so continued Congressional advocacy is still necessary. Sarah shared resources for setting up in-district meetings with members of Congress during the Thanksgiving and winter recesses. NLIHC’s Emma Foley and Sophie Siebach-Glover shared insights from NLIHC’s new report on emergency rental assistance (ERA) spending and performance trends.
Sarah Robbins from the Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness discussed the organization’s efforts to ensure people experiencing homelessness receive stimulus checks issued in past coronavirus relief legislation. Reginald Black from the People for Fairness Coalition in Washington, DC gave an update on the state of homelessness in DC, and Tram Hoang from Keep St. Paul Home discussed her organization’s efforts to put a rent stabilization ordinance on the ballot in St. Paul.
NLIHC hosts national calls every week. Our next call will be today, November 22, at 2:30 pm ET. Register for the call at: https://tinyurl.com/ru73qan
Watch a recording of the November 15 call at: https://bit.ly/3oJsgIH
View presentation slides: https://bit.ly/30Dctmo