Congress Passes Extended Eviction Moratorium, #RentReliefNow and Funding for Housing and Community Development Programs!

After months of negotiations in Congress and advocacy by NLIHC members, partners and allies throughout the country, Congress passed on December 21 a $2.3 trillion appropriations and COVID-19 relief bill that includes $900 billion for coronavirus relief with essential emergency housing resources and protections and $1.4 trillion to fund the federal government through fiscal year (FY) 2021. The relief bill includes $25 billion in emergency rental assistance and a one-month extension of the eviction moratorium for nonpayment of rent issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from December 31, 2020 to January 31, 2021. The bill now goes to President Trump, who has until December 28 to sign it into law.

This final relief bill will provide essential and desperately needed protections for renters, tens of millions of whom would otherwise be at risk of losing their homes this winter. This achievement was made possible by the extraordinary advocacy of NLIHC’s members, partners and allies, and the leadership and tenacity of congressional champions Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Representatives Maxine Waters (D-CA) and Denny Heck (D-WA), bipartisan negotiators Senators Mark Warner (D-VA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Joe Manchin (D-WV), and Rob Portman (R-OH), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).

For details on the housing provisions in the COVID-19 relief bill, see NLIHC’s fact sheet and estimate of state/territory allocations for the $25 billion in emergency rental assistance.

The spending bill provides HUD $49.6 billion - more than $12.4 billion above the president’s request. This increased funding is due to the hard work of advocates across the nation and champions in Congress, including Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Jack Reed (D-RI) and Representatives David Price (D-NC) and Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL), the chairs and ranking members of the House and Senate Transportation-HUD Appropriations Subcommittees.

For more details on the housing provisions of the FY21 spending bill, see NLIHC’s full analysis and updated budget chart.

While the funding provided in the appropriations package and relief bill are essential, much work remains to be done. When Congress returns in January, they must immediately begin work on comprehensive housing solutions to ensure housing stability for the lowest income renters during and after the pandemic, and to provide resources to keep people experiencing homelessness safe, healthy and housed as quickly as possible.

Read NLIHC’s analysis of the housing provisions in the relief bill at: https://bit.ly/34AkIyq

Read NLIHC’s estimate of emergency rental assistance allocations to states and territories at: https://bit.ly/3h9A0iU 

Read NLIHC’s analysis of the FY21 spending package at: https://bit.ly/3rn38aW

Read NLIHC’s updated budget chart at: https://bit.ly/2WA0Ib5