National Updates
Advocacy
The NLIHC-led Disaster Housing Recovery Coalition continues to advocate 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.
NLIHC Vice President of Public Policy Sarah Saadian and Gillian Branstetter of the National Women’s Law Center published an op-ed in the Appeal about the Trump administration’s efforts to enact a rule change that would allow homeless shelters to discriminate on the basis of gender identity or expression. “The timing of this proposed rollback is especially egregious, as COVID-19 is continuing to wreak havoc on the nation’s health and economic systems,” the authors state. “If trans people cannot access shelter and services, it will become much harder for them to get the resources they need to stay safe and socially distance during this public health emergency.”
Reporting
Yahoo! Money reports on how quickly rental assistance programs are running out of funding, citing NLIHC’s research on rental assistance. NLIHC President and CEO Diane Yentel discussed the need for at least $100 billion in rental assistance in addition to the federal eviction moratorium.
Marketplace outlines what renters need to know about the CDC eviction moratorium. NLIHC Vice President of Public Policy Sarah Saadian spoke about the CDC declaration form and why rental assistance is needed to keep millions of renters housed after the moratorium is lifted.
Bloomberg reports eviction filings by corporate landlords surged after the CDC enacted its recent moratorium. Institutional landlords filed more than 900 eviction cases across eight metropolitan areas from September 2 to September 8, according to the Private Equity Stakeholder Project. The increase in evictions highlights key challenges to implementing the moratorium.
A Popular Information investigation reveals 62 corporate landlords who have received taxpayer bailouts are pursuing evictions despite the federal moratorium. Landlords are trying to exploit the fact the moratorium is not self-executing.
Bloomberg reports that in many cities, landlords are filing far fewer eviction filings since the CDC imposed a federal moratorium on September 4. “New filings did drop in all sites, in some cases dramatically,” says Peter Hepburn of Princeton University’s Eviction Lab. “With that being said, we’re still seeing a larger number of new filings in several cities.” Hepburn points to the significant variation in how the federal moratorium is being implemented.
The New York Times reports that interpretations of the CDC eviction moratorium vary state to state, and even judge to judge. Housing advocates and legal aid lawyers are working to inform tenants of their rights under the moratorium and discussing the need for uniform enforcement of the federal order.
Axios spoke to Matthew Desmond, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and professor who leads Princeton University’s Eviction Lab, about the CDC eviction moratorium. “[F]rom a tenant’s point of view, this eviction moratorium is a giant reprieve. But it doesn’t solve their problem, which is, ‘What am I going to do when my bill comes due?” said Desmond.
BeLatina reports on the disproportionate impact of the pandemic and its economic fallout on communities of color. As federal COVID-19 assistance becomes scarce, underserved communities fear losing their homes.
A Washington Post op-ed urges Congress to take immediate action to address the COVID-19 economic crisis by prioritizing robust rental assistance, federal supplement unemployment insurance, food aid, and other critical resources included in the “HEROES Act.”
NPR Morning Edition reports that despite the federal ban, many renters are still getting evicted. A reporter for Houston Public Media found that of the 100 eviction cases they observed, only one renter was able to use the CDC order to block their eviction.
Vice reports that landlords are still trying to evict tenants despite the federal eviction moratorium. Housing experts warn that varied interpretations of the order and inconsistent applications will create widespread confusion among property owners and renters.
The National League of Cities discusses the impact of the looming eviction crisis on school-age youth. The CDC moratorium has delayed but not alleviated the impending eviction cliff.
State and Local News
A list of state and local emergency rental assistance programs is available here from NLIHC.
Alaska
AlaskaLawHelp.org has recently updated self-help information regarding COVID-19, evictions, and housing rights in Alaska. There is a new FAQ about evictions during the COVID-19 pandemic on the Alaska Court System website.
Arizona
A new study found that Arizona has one of the highest eviction and foreclosure rates in the country. People on fixed incomes and those without health insurance were at high risk for losing their homes. “The pandemic is exacerbating all of these vulnerabilities that already exist,” said Lora Phillips, a research with Arizona State University.
Arkansas
KNWA reports court data indicate evictions in Arkansas have increased by 40% from July. Rental assistance is needed to prevent a wave of evictions when the CDC moratorium expires, and Arkansas’ rental assistance is insufficient to meet the overwhelming need for aid. The article cites NLIHC President and CEO Diane Yentel’s tweet about growing evidence that corporate landlords are trying to rush evictions through the courts before tenants learn about their rights under the federal moratorium.
California
Governor Gavin Newsom announced on September 16 nearly $76.5 million in Project Homekey funds will be awarded to seven local jurisdictions for 10 projects totaling 579 units.
San Jose and Contra Costa County are among the first to be awarded Project Homekey funds. Kern County was awarded nearly $15 million from Project Homekey to acquire four sites totaling 151 units for permanent supportive housing. San Jose and Contra Costa County were also awarded Project Homekey funds. View the complete list of the first round of awards here.
The California Department of Housing and Urban Development is amending the NOFA for the Community Development Block Grant Coronavirus (CDBG-CV1) Response Round 1 (CDBG-CV1) to extend the application deadline for jurisdictions contemplating the use of federal funds for properties purchased with Project Homekey funds from September 21, 2020 to February 1, 2021.
City officials in the Bay Area promised to stop sweeping homeless encampments during the pandemic, but some cities, including San Jose, Oakland, and San Francisco, have repeatedly dismantled camps.
California state housing officials released an interactive website for tenants and landlords to understand their rights under the new coronavirus anti-eviction rules enacted in the Tenant Relief Act of 2020.
Florida
The Orlando Sentinel reports the final families of the Star Motel in Kissimmee—with no power, running water, or functional sewer system -- are being moved out of the motel this week by Osceola County and local nonprofits. The Hope Center received $50,000 from the CARES Act to move these individuals into safe, sanitary, and decent housing, primarily into hotel rooms throughout Osceola County.
Hawaii
Governor David Ige announced on September 8 the launch of the State of Hawaii Rent Relief and Housing Assistance Program. The $100 million rent relief program is funded through the CARES Act.
Illinois
The Chicago Tribune reports that despite the federal moratorium, renters are still being pushed out of their homes with notices on doors and threats of lockouts.
Fox Illinois reports on the CDC’s eviction moratorium, highlighting NLIHC’s FAQ sheet and resources to help inform tenants about their rights under the moratorium and what steps they must take to be protected. "It provides essential protection for many struggling renters, but it doesn't take effect automatically," said NLIHC’s Diane Yentel about the federal moratorium.
Indiana
Monroe County judges and attorneys are concerned that the CDC moratorium will not prevent evictions and are scrambling to determine how the federal ban applies locally.
Maine
The Bangor Daily News editorial board writes that although the federal eviction moratorium is helpful, there remains a significant need for rental assistance. Greg Payne, director of the Maine Affordable Housing Coalition, an NLIHC state partner, refers to the moratorium as “half a solution.”
Maryland
Maryland Assistant Attorney General Karen Straughn referred to the CDC moratorium as “very limited,” warning tenants that they are not automatically protected by the order. Representative Jamie Raskin (D-MD) said the order is simply “kicking the can down the road” since tenants will still owe back rent and called on the Senate to pass the $100 billion in rental assistance included in the HEROES Act.
An op-ed in the Baltimore Sun discusses why the CDC eviction moratorium is not enough to prevent evictions in Maryland. The authors examine why Maryland Judiciary’s guidance on the federal ban will limit its effectiveness and outline policy solutions to address the looming crisis.
Massachusetts
The Boston Herald reports that scarce jobs, childcare, and housing opportunities in Boston due to the COVID-19 pandemic are creating insurmountable barriers for families experiencing homelessness. Service providers warn that the number of people experiencing homelessness will continue to increase.
Minnesota
Minnesota’s $100 million COVID-19 Housing Assistance Program launched on August 24 and is currently accepting applications. Learn more about the program here.
Nevada
According to the Nevada Current, legal aid groups in Nevada report that some landlords and property managers are defying eviction protections and still attempting to evict people. The policy director for the Nevada Coalition of Legal Service Providers says some landlords have been attempting to use no-cause eviction notices to work around the moratorium.
Home Means Nevada, part of Nevada’s Division of Business and Industry that runs programs to keep people stably housed, issued a FAQ flyer about the CDC eviction moratorium. The CDC moratorium expands on tenant protections that were included in Governor Steve Sisolak’s order.
New Mexico
Saranam, an Albuquerque nonprofit working to end family homelessness, is bringing 10 new families, including 21 children, into its program. Saranam provides fully furnished apartments for families and additional resources, such as vocational training, further education, or life skills. The pandemic serves as a reminder that a job and steady income is critical to keeping families from becoming homeless, says the director of the program.
New Jersey
Two nonprofits have received grants totaling $2.35 million from the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund to provide legal representation and housing counseling to renters facing the threat of eviction. Many renters are unaware of their rights, leaving them more vulnerable to eviction. Advocates hope these grants will prevent a looming eviction crisis by helping at-risk tenants understand their rights and navigate the complex legal system.
New York
The NYU News editorial board writes that Mayor Bill de Blasio’s decision to evict residents who are homeless from a local hotel after Upper West Side NIMBYs threatened to sue the city endangers public health and demonstrates the city’s hostility toward people experiencing homelessness.
New York Daily News reports the city’s Department of Homeless Services sent a letter to residents at the Harmonia shelter, a Manhattan homeless shelter for those with special needs, a week after many of them were ordered to leave the facility they have called home for years. The letter did not provide information on the residents’ futures. “We appreciate that the city has finally begun to communicate directly with our clients,” said Josh Goldfein of the Legal Aid Society. “The distressing uncertainty they are currently experiencing will not be resolved until the mayor renounces his rushed shelter shuffle plan and offers a real route to permanent housing.”
Dozens of people gathered outside the Lucerne hotel and marched to Carl Shurz Park to protest Mayor Bill de Blasio’s decision to displace the families at the Harmonia shelter to make space for the 300 men temporarily residing at the Upper West Side hotel.
A nurse practitioner with the Center for Urban Community Services writes in an op-ed in City Limits that providing non-congregate shelter for individuals experiencing homelessness in hotels amid the pandemic is a life-saving practice.
North Carolina
Pisgah Legal Services, a nonprofit that provides free, civil legal aid in Western North Carolina, told the Citizen Times the CDC moratorium is a “welcome step forward,” but it will not solve the eviction crisis.
Ohio
A homeless shelter in Butler County that has operated for 18 years will not open this year, causing concern among advocates that this will further strain the overstretched shelter system.
Oklahoma
The Tulsa Housing Authority launched a $20 million Emergency Rental Assistance Program, funded through the CARES Act, in late August. More than 4,400 Tulsa households have applied for more than $6.7 million in rent assistance.
Pennsylvania
An op-ed in the Ambler Gazette calls on Congress and the White House to enact a robust COVID-19 relief bill that includes $100 billion in rental assistance.
Texas
Houston Public Media reviewed approximately 100 cases heard in Harris County during the first week of the CDC eviction moratorium and found that only one of those cases was halted by the federal order.
An op-ed in the Brownwood Bulletin outlines why the city of Austin cannot alone protect renters from eviction. Federal rent relief is needed to prevent a rise in homelessness when the CDC moratorium expires. The authors urge Austinites to call their senators and tell them to pass the HEROES Act, which includes $100 billion in rental assistance and other critical housing provisions and protections.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner announced on September 11 that the city would pull out of a joint COVID-19 housing stability task force and instead rely on the City Council Committee on Housing and Community Affairs to continue its work. News of the task force’s dissolution had not been shared with its members, who were caught off guard by the announcement.
Utah
Weber County officials are concerned about a potential wave of evictions after the CDC eviction moratorium expires January 1, 2021.
Washington
Several Seattle landlords have filed lawsuits against eviction moratoriums enacted by the city and state of Washington. Governor Jay Inslee extended a statewide moratorium on residential evictions through October 15, and Mayor Jenny Durkan extended an order from March prohibiting Seattle landlords from evicting residents through December 31.
West Virginia
Legal Aid of West Virginia reports seeing a dramatic increase in the number of housing cases this year compared to last year, and the Kanawha Valley Collective, an organization that seeks to prevent homelessness, has been receiving calls about eviction daily.
Guidance
Department of Housing and Urban Development
COVID-19 Homeless System Response: ESG-CV Quarterly Reporting Calendar
Suspension and Waiver of the HOME Program Consortium Qualification Deadline in Response to COVID-19 Pandemic – September 11