NLIHC president and CEO Diane Yentel sent a letter on behalf NLIHC’s Disaster Housing Recovery Coalition to HUD Secretary Ben Carson and Acting Assistant Secretary for the Office of Community Planning and Development John Gibbs on April 10. The letter urges HUD to issue guidance encouraging recipients of Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) to prioritize using “Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Stabilization (CARES) Act” funds to address the immediate and urgent needs of people experiencing homelessness and low-income renters, particularly through rental assistance.
The CARES Act provided an additional $5 billion in CDBG funds to help cities and states address the urgent housing needs of low-income people and people experiencing homelessness impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. NLIHC learned from several state and local partners that HUD is pushing for the additional CDBG funds to be used for other purposes, such as microenterprise businesses, over crucial housing stability services, including rental assistance. Under current regulations, CDBG funding can be used to provide up to three months of rental assistance, making it a critical resource for ensuring low-income families can remain stably housed during the coronavirus crisis and in addressing the urgent needs of people experiencing homelessness.
“While eviction moratoriums play an important role in protecting renters, tenants are still responsible for their rent payments and small landlords still need rent revenues to operate and maintain their housing units,” Diane stated in the letter. “Providing temporary rental assistance to current and projected severely cost-burdened renters would keep at-risk tenants stably housed and protect and preserve our country’s affordable housing supply.”
Read the letter at: https://bit.ly/39WR2vy