HUD’s Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH) updated its “Eviction Prevention and Stability Toolkit” on June 2. The 10-part toolkit has been updated (see Memo, 7/13/20) with new information and reflects the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance. PIH indicates that the resource builds on public housing agency (PHA) practices and existing HUD guidance. The updated toolkit offers information and resources for PHAs and Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) landlords regarding ways to stabilize households during and after the coronavirus pandemic.
The updated toolkit includes ten attachments with links to:
- Tenant brochure containing tips on how to avoid eviction,
- PHA best practices guide, an HCV landlord flyer to encourage engagement with tenants before the CDC moratorium expires on June 30
- Repayment agreement guidance and examples
- Needs assessment tool
- HUD’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) frequently asked questions (FAQs).
NLIHC has not combed the ten attachments to identify significant changes. However, immediately noticeable on “Attachment 1: PHA Brochure” is the new language: “In addition, Federal law under the CARES Act requires that an eviction notice for nonpayment of rent must provide at least 30 days to vacate the property, but a longer notice period may be required by state or local law.”
PIH’s brief description of “Attachment 2: Tenant Brochure” states that PHAs ought to distribute the brochure to tenants to prevent eviction for nonpayment of rent as the end of the eviction moratorium approaches. PIH will translate this brochure into multiple languages that will be available on PIH's COVID-19 Resources webpage.
The updated tenant brochure adds:
“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an Order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The Order, and extensions to the Order, temporarily suspends evictions for nonpayment of rent from September 4, 2020 through June 30, 2021, to the extent its application is not prohibited by federal court order. Where it applies, the CDC eviction protections can postpone an eviction for nonpayment of rent BUT PROTECTIONS ARE NOT AUTOMATIC!!”
The brochure has the English version of the CDC Declaration form as well as translations in Amharic, Haitian Creole, Hindi, Russian, Somali, Spanish, and Traditional Chinese.
The tenant brochure adds that federal law requires a 30-day eviction notice for nonpayment of rent, and that a longer notice period might be required by state or local law and that state or local eviction moratoriums might be in place. The brochure reminds residents that they can ask to have their income recertified if they have experienced reduced income and that they might qualify for the new Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) if they owe back rent and are at risk of eviction. Public housing residents are reminded that they have the right to engage the public housing grievance procedures, while voucher households are encouraged to contact their PHA if they think they are being wrongfully threatened with eviction.
The updated “Eviction Prevention and Stability Toolkit” is at: https://bit.ly/3wU0YSg
PIH’s COVID-19 Resources webpage is at: https://bit.ly/2Rks0mE
More information about PIH public housing coronavirus actions is on page 10-8 of NLIHC’s 2021 Advocates’ Guide.
More information about PIH voucher coronavirus actions is on page 10-24 of NLIHC’s 2021 Advocates’ Guide.
Information about public housing is on page 4-30 of NLIHC’s 2021 Advocates’ Guide.
Information about public housing is on page 4-1 of NLIHC’s 2021 Advocates’ Guide.