Washington, DC - It is appalling for Senate Republicans to propose a trillion-dollar response to coronavirus without providing any meaningful resources to help those most vulnerable to the outbreak – people experiencing homelessness and low-income renters. Homeless service providers are in desperate need of resources now; they are increasingly having to shut down services because of a lack of sufficient funding to respond to the tremendous challenges they face from the coronavirus. We must also act now to ensure that low-income renters can keep roofs over their heads during the pandemic. Rent is due on the first of April; our country has no plan for the 8 million extremely low-income renter households who are one financial emergency away from not being able to pay. Coronavirus, and the reduced hours or lost jobs that result, will be that financial emergency. Without immediate and robust action, evictions and homelessness will skyrocket. Inaction isn’t just breathtakingly cruel – it’s tremendously shortsighted in the midst of a public health emergency where our collective health depends on our ability to stay home. Now more than ever, housing is health care.
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