National Updates
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)
The CFPB released a new complaint bulletin addressing areas of concern related to COVID-19 relief, including the CDC eviction moratorium. Some consumers reported facing homelessness due to the impact on their credit history of an eviction reported by debt collectors.
Reporting
NLIHC President and CEO Diane Yentel spoke to the Washington Post about the growing pressure on the White House and state and local governments to ramp up distribution of federal emergency rental assistance (ERA). NLIHC has worked closely with the Biden administration to improve the ERA process, and the White House and Treasury have adopted many of NLIHC’s recommendations. “With the federal eviction moratorium set to expire in four weeks, these data are a five-alarm fire,” said Diane. “Setting up rental assistance programs from scratch is a major and time-consuming undertaking, but by now, that’s no excuse for the abysmally slow pace of spending in some communities.”
The Washington Post discusses the White House Eviction Prevention Summit and examines the Biden administration’s efforts to ensure emergency rental assistance (ERA) reaches those who need it most. At the summit, NLIHC President and CEO Diane Yentel outlined three factors that could ensure ERA reaches the lowest-income renters at greatest risk of eviction.
Business Insider reports that only $1.5 billion of the $46 billion in federal emergency rental assistance (ERA) has reached renters. The CDC eviction moratorium expires on July 30, and 1.2 million households may face eviction. The article highlights a blog post from the Treasury Department that emphasizes the urgent need to ramp up ERA distribution efforts.
The Wall Street Journal reports on new data from the Treasury Department showing that only a fraction of federal emergency assistance (ERA) has reached tenants and landlords. “These data are a five-alarm fire,” said NLIHC’s Diane Yentel. “Having millions of families lose their homes would be tragic under any circumstance—but it would be especially so when it’s entirely avoidable with abundant resources yet to reach them.”
The Associated Press highlights states’ efforts to distribute $46 billion in federal emergency rental assistance (ERA) before the CDC eviction moratorium ends on July 31, putting millions at risk for eviction. The article cites NLIHC’s ERA research.
State and Local News
California
San Diego County’s eviction ban is being challenged in federal court, but the judge has not yet issued a decision. The Southern California Rental Housing Association sought a preliminary injunction to stop the county’s eviction ban. The county’s eviction moratorium is stricter than the state’s moratorium, which was recently extended to September 30.
Connecticut
Connecticut’s statewide eviction moratorium expired on June 30, and housing advocates at the Connecticut Fair Housing Center are concerned about the more than 130,000 tenants who are behind on rent. The Connecticut Department of Housing is trying to accelerate distribution of emergency rental assistance (ERA). As of June 29, the state had authorized $21.9 million in payments to resolve 2,921 of the 19,455 applications for aid to UniteCT, a rent and utility assistance program.
Florida
The Orlando Sentinel discusses housing advocates’ concerns about a tsunami of evictions in Orlando when the federal eviction moratorium expires at the end of July. The article reports that millions of dollars in federal rental assistance remain unspent.
Spectrum News 13 reports on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s recently released bulletin warning landlords and consumer reporting agencies not to file inaccurate information about evictions. The article highlights how burdensome documentation requirements, such as proof of a current lease, can exclude tenants in need of emergency rental assistance (ERA) and slow the distribution of aid. NLIHC encourages ERA programs to allow applicants to self-attest to meeting most eligibility criteria and provides examples of state and local self-attestation forms.
Hawaii
The Honolulu Civil Beat reports Hawaii counties are trying to spread the word about millions of dollars in federal rent and utility assistance. There is a gap between the estimated number of people in need and the actual number of applicants.
Kansas
Across Kansas, landlords are refusing to accept federal emergency rental assistance (ERA), putting thousands of tenants at risk for eviction. Multiple ERA programs in Kansas and Missouri require landlords to apply to the program and receive assistance on behalf of the tenant. Rent Zero Kansas has been urging programs to provide direct-to-tenant assistance
Louisiana
More than 100,000 Louisiana families may be at risk of eviction when the federal eviction moratorium ends. According to Cashauna Hill, executive director of the Louisiana Fair Housing Center, in the seven-week period between mid-June 2020 when the state eviction moratorium ended and August 2020 when the federal eviction moratorium began, Louisiana saw a sharp increase in the number of COVID cases and deaths.
Michigan
University of Michigan professor Robert Goodspeed, co-author of a study on “Reducing Michigan Evictions: The Pandemic and Beyond,” says the state’s COVID emergency rental assistance program and access to attorneys during eviction court cases are critical to preventing a tsunami of evictions when the federal eviction moratorium expires at the end of July.
New Jersey
Certain New Jersey eviction filings due to nonpayment of rent during the pandemic could be kept confidential under a new bill (S3713/A4463), reducing barriers to accessing new housing.
New York
With New York’s eviction moratorium set to expire at the end of August, housing advocates and legal aid attorneys in the Southern Tier are preparing as many defenses as possible.
Virginia
Richmond public housing officials plan to evict families who are more than two months behind on rent starting in August. Tenants who are in the pipeline for rent relief will not be evicted. More than 800 Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority households established repayment plans for back rent as of mid-June.
Washington
Governor Jay Inslee released a housing stability bridge proclamation, intended to bridge the gap between the expired eviction moratorium and new protections and programs created by the state legislature. The Washington Low Income Housing Alliance is reminding residents that this is not an extension of the eviction moratorium. See this graphic for more information.
Guidance
Department of Housing and Urban Development
- HUD PIH Notice 2021-15: Emergency Housing Vouchers – Household Reporting Requirements – June 30, 2021
- HUD’s Office of Community Planning and Development (CPD) CDBG CARES Act Quick Guides – June 2021 (see NLIHC Memo, 7/6)
- HUD CPD Memo: Additional Availability of Additional Waivers for CPD Grant Programs to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19 and Mitigate Economic Impacts – June 30, 2021
- Webinar Series: Coordinating HHS Housing-Related Supports and Services with HUD Housing Assistance for People Experiencing Homelessness