National Updates
Reporting
MarketWatch answers four lingering questions about the CDC eviction moratorium. NLIHC President and CEO Diane Yentel discusses the CDC guidance on the order, noting the FAQ puts more power back in the hands of landlords.
Reuters discusses the surge in displacement and homelessness that will occur in January if Congress and the White House do not pass a coronavirus relief package that includes financial assistance for tenants and landlords.
Marketplace examines how without additional federal coronavirus relief aid, renters are struggling to keep up with their payments. According to the latest Marketplace-Edison Research Poll, 64% of Americans fear they will miss a rent payment, putting them at risk of losing their home.
The Private Equity Stakeholder Project reports that despite the CDC eviction moratorium, eviction filings by corporate landlords in the counties it tracks nearly doubled last week (October 12-18) compared to the prior two weeks.
Marketplace reports that a Georgia property owner is among those challenging the CDC eviction moratorium.
The Hechinger Report examines how seven months into the pandemic, many families are going without basic needs. With help slow to come from Washington, meeting basic needs like food and shelter has become a daily challenge for families.
Northern District of Georgia Judge J.P. Boulee heard arguments on October 20 in the New Civil Liberties Alliance’s lawsuit challenging the CDC’s authority to impose the eviction moratorium. Leslie Vigen of the Department of Justice argued in defense of the CDC eviction moratorium, saying that “invalidating the order would result in millions of evictions through the country leading into the winter flu season.”
As the U.S. faces a looming eviction crisis, housing advocates and policymakers are calling for right to counsel policies that provide all tenants free legal representation in eviction court. Advocates are turning to New York City, where evictions have decreased by 40% since renters were guaranteed legal representation in court.
State and Local News
A list of state and local emergency rental assistance programs is available here from NLIHC.
Alaska
As of October 15, epidemiologists have identified 313 COVID-19 cases among people experiencing homelessness in Anchorage, with 19 of those cases occurring in the past 10 days. CDC officials issued a series of recommendations for how Anchorage could improve its response to the spread of the coronavirus among people experiencing homelessness.
Arkansas
Despite the CDC eviction moratorium, eviction filings in Arkansas are increasing. Thousands of Arkansas residents remain unemployed and some have either exhausted or do not qualify for rental assistance.
California
Governor Gavin Newsom on October 16 announced the release of $30.7 million in the fifth round of awards for Project Homekey. With this round of awards, California has provided all available Homekey funding – more than $627 to 45 applicants and 71 projects totaling 4,646 units.
The Milpitas City Council voted unanimously on October 15 to send a letter to Santa Clara County, asking that it halt plans to convert a 146-room hotel into 132 studio apartments for people experiencing homelessness. The $29.2 million project will be funded through California’s Project Homekey. Mayor Rich Tran threatened to sue California over the rushed plans, frustrated that the state would bypass local control, and droves of residents protested the plans, citing safety concerns.
Marin County is close to acquiring two commercial buildings to house people experiencing homelessness using Project Homekey funds, but it is still developing a plan for winter sheltering. As Project Roomkey winds down, Marin County is working to find permanent housing for the individuals who were temporarily sheltered in three local motels.
The San Jose City Council approved a plan to keep emergency shelters operating this winter and unanimously voted to purchase a 72-unit hotel to use as supportive housing for individuals experiencing homelessness.
Colorado
Governor Jared Polis on October 21 signed an executive order reinstating the statewide eviction moratorium less than one week after he banned late fees for Colorado renters through the end of the year. The executive orders follow the release of a report by the Special Eviction Prevention Task Force.
Connecticut
An op-ed in the New Haven Independent discusses the dangers facing unsheltered individuals this upcoming winter as coronavirus cases continue to grow. The article details what steps policymakers, service providers, and advocates must take to protect individuals experiencing homelessness this winter and beyond.
Florida
The Florida Housing Finance Corporation on October 16 presented program updates on the $250 million COVID-19 Impacted Households Program funded through the Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF). The program provides rental and mortgage assistance to tenants living in Florida Housing’s multifamily and special needs developments and other affected homeowners and renters throughout Florida.
Illinois
Governor J.B. Pritzker on October 16 announced he plans to extend Illinois’ eviction moratorium for another month. “Nothing really has changed in terms of the effect of COVID-19 and its effect on the economy, its effect on people’s jobs and their ability, or inability, to pay their rent or mortgage,” said Governor Pritzker.
Indiana
On behalf of the Hoosier Housing Needs Coalition, Andrew Bradley of Prosperity Indiana and Laura Berry, president of the Board of Directors of the Indiana Balance of State Continuum of Care, co-authored a blog post expressing concern that restrictions on Indiana’s reopened Rental Assistance Portal will prevent Hoosiers from accessing much-needed resources.
Interested in learning more about how eviction continues to take a toll on renters in Indiana’s most vulnerable communities? Hear from local experts about Hoosiers’ experience with eviction, eviction’s role within the larger landscape of housing insecurity, and the legal implications of eviction in Indiana. Register for part one of the Hoosier Housing Needs Coalition’s three-part webinar series, “Evicted in Indiana.”
Massachusetts
Representative Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) called on Governor Charlie Baker to take immediate action and extend the eviction moratorium. “With a stroke of a pen, Governor Baker could prevent the looming eviction tsunami in the Commonwealth this Saturday – or he could fail to act and stand by as thousands of families impacted by the public health crisis and economic fallout lose their homes,” said Representative Pressley.
Attorney General Maura Healey on October 16 called on Governor Charlie Baker to extend the pandemic eviction moratorium. She applauded the governor’s Eviction Diversion Initiative but urged him to extend the moratorium until the resources under the plan are fully available to all residents. Attorney General Healey also noted that the federal eviction is narrower in scope than the state moratorium was and more complex to qualify for.
The Metropolitan Area Planning Council estimates 60,000 renter households across Massachusetts fear “imminent eviction” after the state’s eviction moratorium expired on October 17. The housing advocacy group City Life/Vida Urbana estimates the number to be closer to 100,000 renter households.
Advocates are concerned about the rise in the number of unsheltered women in Boston. Sandy Mariano of Rosie’s Place, a shelter and community center for women, believes there has been a 75% surge in people living unsheltered in Boston, and the rise in the number of women is “clearly observable.”
Minnesota
NBC News reports seven people who were evicted from homeless encampments in Minneapolis this year and had their property destroyed filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of Minnesota claiming that their constitutional rights were violated. The lawsuit seeks to stop homeless encampment sweeps in the city parks.
Nevada
Nevada has altered several requirements to simplify the application process for emergency rental assistance. Nevada’s Rural Housing Authority already adopted a simplified application model and more assistance was distributed during the first week of the program than the entire month of September.
New Mexico
After a recent COVID-19 outbreak at the Westside Homeless Shelter in Albuquerque, the city is conducting contract tracing but struggling to reach individuals who may have come in contact. The shelter is not accepting new people, and people who are being turned away from the shelter are sent to other shelters or given hotel vouchers if there no other options.
The New Mexico Mortgage Finance Agency will begin accepting applications for the new COVID-19 Housing Cost Assistance Program on Monday, November 2. The program will provide mortgage and rental assistance to New Mexicans impacted by COVID-19.
New York
Judge Debra James issued a temporary restraining order, preventing New York City from forcing more than 200 men experiencing homelessness from the Lucerne Hotel. Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the move after Upper West Side NIMBYs threatened to sue the city over its decision to temporarily house people experiencing homelessness at a local hotel during the pandemic.
Advocates with Legal Services of the Hudson Valley are concerned about a surge of evictions when the federal moratorium expires at the end of the year. Since the eviction moratoriums were enacted, the organization has seen instances where landlords have sent threatening letters, turned off essential services, refused to address hazardous living conditions, and employed other illegal tactics to force tenants out of their homes.
North Carolina
Since North Carolina’s emergency rental and utility assistance program opened on October 15, over 11,000 people have applied for aid, with over 9,100 being eligible for assistance (as of October 20). The Housing Opportunities and Preventing Evictions (HOPE) program utilizes $117 million in federal CARES Act resources.
Ohio
While homeless shelters in Cuyahoga County dodged devastating COVID-19 outbreaks by enacting mitigation strategies, an eviction crisis and homelessness epidemic looms as emergency rental assistance funds dwindle and the federal eviction moratorium expires at the end of the year.
The Columbus Dispatch reports federal and local eviction prevention assistance is dwindling rapidly. Housing advocates continue to call on Ohio officials to allocate a portion of its remaining federal Coronavirus Relief Fund dollars toward rental assistance and eviction prevention.
Oklahoma
The Oklahoma Policy Institute reports that nearly half of adults in Oklahoma believe they are likely to be evicted or foreclosed upon in the next two months. Data show that eviction filings and orders have increased in Oklahoma even after the CDC moratorium took effect on September 4, and residents remain at risk for eviction through the end of the year.
Oregon
Four months after the Oregon Legislature’s Emergency Board allocated $60 million in federal Coronavirus Relief Fund dollars to provide rental assistance, the majority of funds have not been distributed. According to a report from Oregon Housing and Community Services, approximately 38% of the funds had been distributed to 7,431 households by October 2, while another 11% has been committed to specific households but not yet paid.
Despite the pandemic and wildfires, homelessness remains the most concerning issue for Portlanders and much of the region. According to a new poll, many surveyed voters in the region also say their communities are headed in the wrong direction in addressing homelessness.
KGW8 reports amid the COVID-19 pandemic and devastating wildfires, Salem’s homelessness crisis is challenging, complex, and growing worse.
Tennessee
Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke’s office presented a plan to the City Council on October 20 that would use more than $1 million in Community Development Block Grant – Coronavirus (CDBG-CV) funds to convert a local hotel property into an emergency hotel shelter.
Texas
During the past two weeks, organizers with Building and Strengthening Tenant Action (BASTA) have placed 10,000 plastic signs on the doors of renters living in buildings where landlords have filed evictions in the past several months. The door hangers, translated in English and Spanish, direct tenants to a website where they can learn about tenants’ rights and current eviction protections.
Spectrum News spoke with Willie Hodge, a Dallas resident who was evicted 15 years ago for nonpayment of rent, who shared about the lasting mental health effects eviction has had on his life.
Virginia
With stimulus talks stalled in Washington, shelter providers in Richmond fear a surge in homelessness when the federal eviction moratorium expires at the end of the year.
Richmond, Henrico County, and Chesterfield County are partnering with the Greater Richmond Continuum of Care to help those at imminent risk of homelessness by housing individuals in hotel rooms and connecting them to food assistance, mental health services, and permanent housing. Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney recently announced plans for sheltering people experiencing homelessness.
The James City County Social Services Housing Unit has received two grant awards from the CARES Act for the homeless emergency response program, including $129,630 for rapid re-housing and $90,141 for a non-congregate, winter shelter.
Washington
Early findings from a study of King County’s initiative to move people out of shelters and into hotel rooms demonstrate the efforts helped slow the transmission of the coronavirus. Individuals who moved to area hotels also reported improved physical and mental health, as well as the ability to focus on long-term goals rather than solely focusing on day-to-day survival.
Wisconsin
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel lists agencies offering eviction prevention assistance, including rental assistance and legal aid.
Guidance
Department of Housing and Urban Development
CDC Eviction Moratorium: FAQs for HUD’s Office of Public and Indian Housing – Updated October 19
COVID-19 Homeless System Response: Alternative Approaches to Winter Sheltering During COVID-19
COVID-19 Homeless System Response: ESG-CV Reporting Guidance
COVID-19 Homeless System Response: Primer on Serving People with High-Acuity Needs
Register Today: Using CDBG-CV to Address Housing Instability Webinar on November 3, 2020
Department of Treasury
Coronavirus Relief Fund: Frequently Asked Questions – Updated October 19