Letter to Mitch McConnell, Senate Majority Leader, Charles Schumer, Senate Minority Leader, Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House, and Kevin McCarthy, House Minority Leader - Representatives Garcia, Espaillat, 49 Members of Congress Ask to Include Emergency Rental Assistance in the Next Stimulus Package
Letter
To Senate Majority Leader McConnell, Senate Minority Leader Schumer, House Speaker Pelosi, and House Minority Leader McCarthy:
The economic consequences of the COVID-19 public health crisis have only deepened in the short time since the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) was enacted. As Congress mobilizes for a badly-needed fourth relief package, we urge leadership to include $100 billion for emergency rental assistance funds to allow tenants to stay in their homes.
Congress must also alleviate the burden of rent as our constituents are furloughed, laid off, or working reduced hours. Though the CARES Act included an important temporary eviction moratorium measure to ensure that covered tenants, it delays the threat of evictions and foreclosures while doing nothing to resolve the issue of accrued rent that is still owed. We must act to help these families who must decide between putting food on the table or a roof over their heads.
Ten million people filed for unemployment in the last weeks of March-- an increase of 3,000% over filings at the beginning of the month. Too many are worried about their ability to keep their home when the immediate public health crisis is over. The National Low Income Housing Coalition estimates that $100 billion in rental assistance is necessary to avoid the devastation of affordable housing infrastructure in our communities as eviction moratoriums are lifted at the end of this crisis and back-rent is due.
We urge you to include $100 billion in critically needed funds for emergency rental assistance in the next COVID-19 relief package. Families across the country should not be forced to choose between foregoing food or medicine in order to pay rent.
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