More than 2,000 organizers, advocates, reporters, and legislative staff attended the weekly “Coronavirus, Housing, and Homelessness” national call hosted by NLIHC and our Disaster Recovery Housing Coalition (DHRC) on April 27. The call featured updates from national, state, and local advocates and services providers working to assist people experiencing homelessness, low-income households, and members of marginalized communities, all of whom are disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Register for today’s (May 4) 2:30 pm ET call at: https://tinyurl.com/ru73qan
On the April 27 call, Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Mark Calabria spoke about the FHFA’s eviction prevention and mortgage forbearance efforts and provided preliminary data on how many property owners have requested forbearance. Former HUD Secretary and presidential candidate Julián Castro discussed how the current public health crisis has underscored the need for additional solutions to address pre-existing affordable housing and homelessness issues.
Keith Ellison, attorney general of Minnesota, spoke about his office’s efforts to prevent illegal evictions and labor practices, and Karl Racine, attorney general of the District of Columbia, discussed the need for increased rental assistance and other supports for low-income families.
Megan Gibbard Kline, director of A Way Home America, spoke about the health and humanitarian imperative of providing assistance to youth and young adults experiencing homelessness during the pandemic. Ms. Gibbard Kline stressed the need to include the voices of impacted people in policy-making discussions. Christina Rosales of Texas Housers provided an update from the Houston area regarding their soon-to-expire ban on evictions. Kody Glazer of the Florida Housing Coalition shared how her organization is encouraging connections between housing and emergency management agencies. Bambie Hayes-Brown, president and CEO of Georgia ACT, discussed her organization’s advocacy for low-income renters in Georgia. Will Fischer, senior director for housing policy and research at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, spoke about the efforts to create additional housing vouchers to deal with the fallout from the pandemic, and Sarah Saadian of NLIHC gave the latest updates on advancing our federal policy solutions in Congress.
NLIHC hosts national calls on the Coronavirus, Housing, and Homelessness every week on Mondays at 2:30 pm ET. Register for today’s (May 4) call at: https://tinyurl.com/ru73qan
Watch a recording of the April 27 call at: tinyurl.com/yca9hqh2
View April 27 presentation slides at: tinyurl.com/ycz8flsn
Stay up to date on COVID-19 news and housing resources at: https://bit.ly/3dwCSEm