NLIHC joined other national organizations on a letter calling on the Department of Treasury to allow emergency rental assistance (ERA) grantees to establish a rental assistance standard for rehousing in cases of eviction, and to allow master leasing of hotel and motel rooms. The letter was sent before the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) extended the federal eviction moratorium, and urged action to allow a rapid deployment of assistance to help households secure alternative housing, should they be evicted when the moratorium expires.
While ERA can be used to cover expenses associated with securing alternative housing, including moving costs, temporary hotel or motel stays, and lease-up costs, the documentation requirements related to such expenses may pose a barrier to grantees aiming to provide assistance as quickly as possible to prevent homelessness. NLIHC urges Treasury to allow grantees to establish a “Rehousing Assistance Standard” to provide evicted households a flat amount of assistance paid directly to the tenant so they can reestablish housing stability without needing to document individual expenses. Additionally, Treasury should allow grantees to use ERA assistance to hold master leases on a block of rooms over an extended time to temporarily shelter displaced families in hotel or motel rooms while they search for permanent housing.
Read the letter at: https://tinyurl.com/pds6mcvr