Senate Republicans and members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) released separate proposals for a third coronavirus supplemental package on March 19.
The Senate bill, introduced by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Richard Shelby (R-AL), and Roger Wicker (R-MS), does not contain housing provisions for low-income renters, nor does it include any additional funding to help people experiencing homelessness access vital resources such as housing and healthcare.
“Homeless service providers are in desperate need of resources now; they are increasingly having to shut down services because of a lack of sufficient funding to respond to the tremendous challenges they face from the coronavirus,” said NLIHC president and CEO Diane Yentel in a statement following the proposal’s introduction. “We must also act now to ensure that low-income renters can keep roofs over their heads during the pandemic. Without immediate and robust action, evictions and homelessness will skyrocket.”
The proposal released by the CPC reflects a number of the priorities listed in the Disaster Housing Recovery Coalition (DHRC)’s recommendations to Congress, including a national moratorium on evictions and foreclosures, emergency rental assistance, and emergency funding for rapid re-housing. The CPC proposal does not include additional funding for the Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) program, which would help communities minimize the number of people living in homeless encampments and identify space for self-isolation and self-quarantine.
The Senate Republican’s bill is at: https://bit.ly/2WtTdU3
The CPC’s proposal is at: https://bit.ly/2wgkHSJ
Diane’s statement is at: https://bit.ly/396rawD
DHRC’s recommendations to Congress are at: https://nlihc.org/responding-coronavirus