95 Members of Congress Send Letter to House Leaders Requesting Inclusion of Funding for Homeless Programs in Fourth Coronavirus Supplemental, April 13

Representatives Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) and Alcee Hastings (D-FL) led 93 of their congressional colleagues in a letter on April 10 to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) asking that the fourth coronavirus supplemental spending bill include additional funding for programs to assist people experiencing homelessness.

While the “Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act” provided $4 billion in McKinney-Vento Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) to help address the urgent needs of people experiencing homelessness, more is needed. The letter urges House leaders to include an additional $11.5 billion in ESG funding in the next supplemental package. Recent research shows that at least $15.5 billion is required to sufficiently reconfigure shelter systems to prevent the spread of coronavirus among people experiencing homelessness, including adjustments to meet social distancing guidelines, spaces for self-isolation and quarantine, and measures to meet hygienic guidelines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). ESG funding can also be used for rapid re-housing, a Housing-First program that provides people experiencing homelessness rental assistance, and when necessary, services to help them quickly find housing and remain stably housed.

The letter also requests $3 billion in additional funding to create 200,000 new vouchers through the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program to help vulnerable populations, including people who are elderly, have a disability, or have underlying conditions find permanent housing. Vouchers allow low-income people to find safe, stable, affordable and accessible housing in the private market. In addition, the letter urges House leaders to include $100 billion for emergency rental assistance. Before the coronavirus pandemic, nearly 10 million extremely low- and very low-income renters were severely housing-cost burdened, spending more than half of their incomes on rent. The number of severely housing-cost burdened renters is expected to increase by 1.5 million households as a result of the coronavirus crisis. Emergency rental assistance would help these households avoid eviction once eviction moratoria are lifted and back-rent is owed.

The members’ letter is at: https://bit.ly/3c9HRZY