The COVID-19 relief bill currently in Congress would provide essential housing assistance for millions of older adults and families struggling to pay rent and avoid eviction, as well as funding to address homelessness. This is critical, as evictions unnecessarily put lives at risk and strain our already overstretched public health systems. In fact, evictions occurring between the beginning of the pandemic and the issuance of the CDC moratorium in September 2020 led to more than 400,000 more COVID-19 cases and nearly 11,000 additional deaths.
The COVID relief bill housing-related provisions include, as summarized by our partners at Justice in Aging:
- $19 billion in emergency aid for low-income renters
- $5 billion for Housing Choice Vouchers for people leaving homelessness and renters at greatest risk of homelessness if they lose their current housing
- $5 billion for homelessness assistance through the HOME Investment Partnerships Program
- $750 million for housing assistance to tribal nations and Native Hawaiians
The Biden Administration has also extended the homeowner foreclosure moratorium and forbearance protections through June 30, 2021 and has extended the federal moratorium on residential evictions to March 31, 2021. California Health Advocates has signed the letter below, joining over 2,000 organizations and elected officials in urging the Biden administration to extend, improve, and enforce the current CDC eviction moratorium until the end of the pandemic.
Read the full letter here.
