National Call in Day 2020
Dear advocates,
Renters across America have been hard hit by COVID-19 and its financial fallout, and they are struggling to make ends meet. Federal, state, and local efforts to keep low-income people stably housed are overwhelmed by the tremendous needs in our communities; available resources are quickly depleted. While the federal eviction moratorium issued by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) gives essential short-term relief to some renters, it expires at the end of the year. When it does, tens of millions of renters – disproportionately Black, Latino, and Native American people – will owe tens of billions of dollars in back rent, more than they can possibly pay. Their homes – and their family’s ability to stay safe and healthy – are at risk.
The National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC), and our Disaster Housing Recovery Coalition (DHRC) and Opportunity Starts at Home (OSAH) multisector affordable homes campaign, invite advocates across the country to participate in a National Call In Day on Thursday, November 19 to urge Congress to take immediate action to ensure housing stability for people experiencing homelessness and the lowest-income renters. Congress must act quickly to provide emergency housing resources and protections to prevent a spike in housing instability, evictions, and homelessness – and with it, and increased spread of COVID-19 - this winter.
Congress needs to hear from you about the urgency of providing these housing resources and protections to your community. Struggling renters and people experiencing homelessness cannot wait any longer!
We encourage all advocates to participate in making phone calls to your representatives and senators leading up to and on Thursday, November 19.
Together, we will urge Congress to include our top priorities for housing stability in the next coronavirus relief package, including the “Emergency Rental Assistance and Rental Market Stabilization Act” to provide at least $100 billion in emergency rental assistance over 12 months to help low-income renters avoid evictions and homelessness. We will also call for a strengthened national moratorium on evictions; $11.5 billion to help local communities address the pressing health and safety needs of people experiencing homelessness; and additional funding for HUD and USDA housing programs to ensure housing stability during and after the pandemic.
The tools on this webpage are the key resources you’ll need to participate in the National Call-In Day on November 19. The tools include background information, sample talking points, and social media messages.
We hope you will join us in demanding that Congress take immediate action to ensure housing stability for low-income renters and people experiencing homelessness.
For more information, please contact Sarah Saadian, vice president for public policy at [email protected], or Joey Lindstrom, director of field organizing, at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Diane Yentel
President and CEO
National Low Income Housing Coalition
Contents and Additional Resources
National Call-In Day Script
Phone number - 2020-224-3121
- Hello! My name is (Frist Name, Last Name) and I am a constituent/work in the district of (member of Congress).
- I’m calling today to ask (you/member of Congress) to act quickly to provide emergency housing resources and protections to prevent a spike in housing instability, evictions, and homelessness this winter.
- Where I live, I see the need for more resources for housing, especially during this time of crisis. EXPLAIN (Use Out of Reach Report, Gap Report, and/or your personal experiences)
- Up to 30 million to 40 million renters are at risk of losing their homes by the end of the year when the federal eviction moratorium ends.
- To address the needs of people experiencing housing insecurity and homelessness, I ask that you pass a coronavirus package as soon as possible that includes the following:
- $11.5 billion in ESG homelessness services grants
- A national, unified moratorium on evictions
- $100 billion in emergency rental assistance over 12 months
- Additional funding for HUD and USDA housing programs to ensure housing stability during and after the pandemic
- The lowest-income people desperately need help, especially during the upcoming cold season. Please push for a coronavirus relief package that includes funding for our lowest-income renters and people experiencing homelessness.
Call In Day Advocacy Toolkit
Download the Virtual Lobby Day Toolkit or browse its contents and additional resources below:
Already completed a recent lobby meeting with your members of Congress? Here are other ways you can take action today!
- Send an email to reinforce the message you conveyed during your call. Feel free to use and adapt template text from NLIHC’s suggested email action
- Write an op-ed, letter to the editor, or tweet at your members of Congress using the NLIHC Social Media Toolkit
- Add your organization to two letters urging Congress to immediately enact critical housing resources and protections!