Congress passed and President Biden signed into law on March 11 the “American Rescue Plan Act,” (ARP) a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package that includes nearly $50 billion in housing and homelessness resources! The bill provides over $27 billion for rental assistance. This, combined with the $25 billion provided by Congress last year and a separate $5 billion for utilities in the ARP, can eliminate over $50 billion of rent and utility arrears that struggling renters have accrued during the pandemic and will enable longer term housing stability for some renters. The American Rescue Plan Act also provides $5 billion in new funding for states and cities to provide housing stability for tens of thousands of people experiencing homelessness. 

With the passage of this legislation, advocates and congressional leaders have secured nearly $85 billion in emergency housing and homelessness assistance since the start of the pandemic through the American Rescue Plan Act, the December COVID-19 relief bill, and the CARES Act.

For more details about coronavirus relief legislation, scroll down to NLIHC’s Resources below. 

Resources

  1. Housing Provisions in December 2020 COVID-19 Relief Package 

Congressional leaders have reached a deal on an emergency COVID-19 relief bill that includes $25 billion in emergency rental assistance.

  1. FAQ on Treasury’s Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) Program

  1. Estimating the Distribution of State/Territory Allocations for Emergency Rental Assistance

We estimated the total maximum allocation that each state could receive. The amounts could vary if the Treasury Department alters its method.

  1. Housing Provisions in the American Rescue Plan Act

  1. American Rescue Plan Act: Estimated Allocations of Homeless Assistance Grants

  1. Overview on National Eviction Moratorium and FAQ for Renters

Federal Moratorium on Evictions for Nonpayment of Rent.