NLIHC is hosting weekly national calls on COVID-19, homelessness, and housing every Monday afternoon. The next call is today (Monday, March 30) at 2:30 to 4:00 p.m. ET. Register for the national call at: https://tinyurl.com/t3oftj7
The NLIHC-led Disaster Housing Recovery Coalition (DHRC) will continue to advocate for a broad array of resources and protections, including emergency rental assistance and eviction prevention assistance, a national moratorium on evictions and foreclosures, and emergency funds for homelessness service providers, housing authorities, and housing providers, among other recommendations. For more information, see DHRC’s full list of recommendations, which will continue to be expanded and refined.
NLIHC is also maintaining a regularly updated COVID-19/Housing and Homelessness News and Resource page here.
National Updates
FEMA
FEMA’s Public Assistance (PA) program – one category of which is operating nationally after President Trump’s National Declaration of an Emergency – will have simplified forms and application processes – allowing applicants (state, local, and tribal governments and eligible nonprofits) to apply directly through the PA website.
NLIHC has released a fact sheet on Public Assistance funding uses and eligibility. This sheet will be updated as new information is released.
FEMA also released additional explanations on the Public Assistance program for tribal governments.
A memo from the Department of Homeland Security has authorized FEMA to fund 100% of the emergency assistance activities conducted by National Guard units under state control in California, New York, and Washington.
FEMA Administrator Pete Gaynor released a message to all emergency managers in the U.S., laying out seven critical steps for pandemic response. Included are directions to collect data on community vulnerability and identify locations to quarantine patients that are unable to isolate inside a home.
As FEMA takes the reigns of pandemic response, confusion and frustration are mounting both inside and outside the agency.
Federal Housing Finance Agency
FHFA and Freddie Mac released additional details on a plan to offer multifamily property owners mortgage forbearance on the condition they suspend all evictions for renters unable to pay rent due to the impact of coronavirus.
Advocacy
A list of local eviction and foreclosure moratoriums is available here from NLIHC.
The National Housing Law Project released a Model Eviction Moratorium Act to serve as an example for jurisdictions working to stop evictions during the COVID-19 crisis.
Lone Star Legal Aid released a blog post on issues related to coronavirus isolation and domestic violence.
Healthdata.org released a set of projections of hospital resources based on COVID-19 fatalities. The data can be broken down by state.
State News
California
California Governor Gavin Newsom announced a statewide eviction ban for renters affected by the COVID-19 crisis.
Homeless service providers and government officials are scrambling to house the homeless as the COVID-19 pandemic worsens in the state.
Delaware
The Delaware State Housing Authority is offering eligible households up to $1,500 in direct housing assistance payments through the Delaware Housing Assistance Program. Applications are available here.
Kentucky
The Northern Kentucky Convention Center has opened its doors to serve as a social isolation homeless shelter.
Maine
Some landlords in Maine have argued they should be allowed to restrict guests to rental units. Advocates have called on renters and landlords to work together to identify ways prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Michigan
Service providers will still be allowed to provide food and shelter to people in need under Michigan’s stay-at-home order. Many organizations in the state are scrambling to deal with the spread of COVID-19.
Montana
Montana Governor Steve Bullock issued a stay-at-home order for the state. The order does not exempt individuals experiencing homelessness but directs them to shelters.
New York
An Albany Housing Authority employee tested positive for COVID-19; the public housing property where the employee resided is now under quarantine.
An op-ed in City Limits by Judi Kende of DHRC-member Enterprise Community Partners calls for New York to quickly move to create a housing voucher system to combat homelessness.
Ohio
An apparent positive case of coronavirus in Toledo has public housing residents on edge. Residents of the building in question have been asked to quarantine.
Oregon
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said that the statewide stay-at-home order applies to people without homes. It is unclear to what extent police will enforce the rule with the homeless population. Oregon Governor Kate Brown’s office said it would “discourage” police departments from punishing homeless individuals for violating the order but would not prohibit it.
Washington State
Washington’s Department of Commerce is dispensing emergency housing grants to each county in the state. Each county will receive at least $250,000.
Utah
The Utah Economic Response Task Force released a health and economic recovery plan that includes loan and mortgage freezes.
Local News
Baltimore
Mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young released an emergency response plan to mitigate the effects of the coronavirus on individuals experiencing homelessness.
Chicago
The City of Chicago will be partnering with five hotels to house quarantined and isolated individuals diagnosed with COVID-19.
Detroit
An employee of a transitional housing program for formerly homeless individuals tested positive for COVID-19. Six staff members are now self-quarantining.
Los Angeles
Orange County is currently converting a no longer used juvenile detention center to host beds for homeless individuals that are experiencing the symptoms of COVID-19.
New Orleans
New Orleans officials are finalizing plans to move individuals experiencing homelessness out of encampments and into a downtown hotel. Many of the individuals are residents of encampments targeted by city officials in clean-up operations in which multiple residents lost all their belongings.
New York City
Residents at New York City homeless shelters are becoming concerned about the cleanliness of shelters in the city, worrying that the lack of sanitation may spread the virus.
San Francisco
The San Francisco Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing advised homeless shelters in the city to not accept new residents. It additionally sent out instructions for social distancing but told providers not to implement them until notified by the agency.
Federal Guidance:
CDC
People Experiencing Unsheltered Homelessness Interim Guidance
HUD
COVID-19: Essential Services for Encampments During an Infectious Disease Outbreak (Updated)
COVID-19: Shelter Management During an Infectious Disease Outbreak
COVID-19 Client Triage Tool: Atlanta, GA CoC Example
COVID-19: How to Screen Clients Upon Entry to Shelter or Opportunity Centers
The Office of Multifamily Housing Stakeholders COVID-19 Q&A (updated)
USICH
A recording of a USICH/HUD webinar on “COVID-19 Planning and Response: Isolation and Quarantine: Lessons Learned from King County [Washington]” is available online.