The Senate adjourned for recess on October 26 without passing a new coronavirus relief bill. Negotiations between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on a new relief package continued last week, but no major progress towards reaching a deal was made. Congress is expected to take up the task of passing a relief bill after the November 3 election, but the House and Senate remain divided on the overall cost of the bill and whether to include certain provisions, including aid to state and local governments and liability protections for businesses. The Senate will resume session on November 9, and the House is scheduled to return the following week.
Communities are struggling to meet the urgent needs of people experiencing homelessness who are at greater risk of severe illness, hospitalizations, and death due to coronavirus. NLIHC and other experts estimate that without federal intervention, 30 to 40 million renters are at risk of losing their homes when the federal eviction moratorium expires at the end of the year. In the meantime, small landlords who rely on rental income to maintain and operate their properties will increasingly struggle to pay their bills.