The current health and economic crisis threatens the housing stability of millions of renters in New York and across the country, affecting Black and Latino Americans more than white Americans, exacerbating racial inequities. Congress must act to protect renters impacted by the COVID-19 crisis to avoid displacement and eviction, which will not only avert a crisis for families who have lost loved ones and employment but will also provide housing stability when it is most needed, during a health pandemic.
In New York, an estimated 1.2 million renter households have at least one member who has lost their job due to COVID-19, and 327,000 of those households do not receive unemployment insurance benefits; 630,000 are low-income and especially vulnerable. Economists predict a slow recovery in New York making rental assistance essential to keeping families housed until jobs return.
Even before the crisis, millions of households experienced housing insecurity due to low wages and high housing costs. Nationally more than 565,000 people were homeless, and 75,000 people were homeless in New York City. Black and Hispanic New Yorkers were overrepresented in high poverty neighborhoods, in public housing and among people experiencing homelessness. In New York City, 600,000 low-income households paid more than a half of their limited incomes on rent, leaving very little for other basic needs such as groceries, childcare or medicines. Black New Yorkers were also more likely to live in housing with maintenance deficiencies.
The effects of COVID-19 have made these inequalities worse, with the virus causing the most sickness and death in neighborhoods that are disproportionately communities of color, and, due to the closely related economic pain, a greater share of black households falling behind on their rent.
The growing crisis for renters threatens to now completely overwhelm state and local governments’ ability to house the homeless and keep people in their homes unless they receive federal assistance.
What to do? Government revenues have declined dramatically as incomes and sales have plummeted. State and local governments need more than $900 billion in federal funding to meet budget deficits to continue operating their programs and services. Without aid, states and local governments will be forced to cut back on programs that at-risk households rely on like housing and food assistance and job programs.
Congress must act now to mitigate the economic shock millions of Americans are currently facing due to coronavirus. The National Low Income Housing Coalition estimates that $10.9 billion in emergency rental assistance is needed in New York to keep families stably housed. At least $100 billion is needed nationally.
For families who will soon return to full employment, rental assistance will help to lessen the threat of eviction once back-rent is due. But for the vast majority of the public that remain unemployed, Congress must act quickly to keep them in their homes. The U.S. House of Representatives has responded to this urgent need by passing both the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act and the Emergency Housing Protections and Relief Act. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell must now take meaningful action to pass these bills that include essential housing protections and resources.
These last months have demonstrated how important housing is to safety and well-being in our society. Families and individuals have been asked to socially distance to prevent the spread of the virus, and they can only do that with safe and stable housing. For now, and in the future, every American needs safe and affordable housing.
During this pandemic, the very least Congress must do is ensure everyone is stably housed. This is not just an economic necessity, but a moral and health imperative. We must protect those who are most at risk during this pandemic.
Fee is the executive director of the?New York Housing Conference. Yentel is the president and CEO of the?National Low Income Housing Coalition.
