Coronavirus Response Must Address Homelessness & Housing

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TELL CONGRESS:
Coronavirus Response Must Address Homelessness & Housing

Urge legislators to act now to meet the critical needs of people experiencing homelessness and housing instability while addressing the coronavirus pandemic.

Tell our legislators that housing is health care. Congress must provide for the housing and health needs of people experiencing homelessness and housing instability during this COVID-19 pandemic.

Those who do not have homes cannot follow "stay at home" orders. Those who do have homes often live in close quarters with others, unable to self-isolate or practice social distancing, and many are already feeling the fallout from the economic downturn brought on by this pandemic.

These populations include seniors, people with disabilities and/or people with underlying health conditions, making them high-risk populations for the virus.

Legislation passed to date has overlooked their critical needs.

We need to act now. Legislators are currently debating a stimulus relief package. The proposal by Senate Republicans has stalled; the House Democrats proposed their own plan on Monday night. Our message includes many recommendations for how the package can support people experiencing homelessness and facing housing instability. Personalizing your message is important to make sure it passes through screening filters and to help your legislator understand why this matters to you.

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U.S. Congress Senators & Representatives from Illinois

Subject: Coronavirus Response Must Address Homelessness & Housing

Message:

Now, more than ever, housing is health care. And it is increasingly clear that our individual health is inextricably linked to the health of everyone else in our communities—including those who are facing homelessness or housing instability. These individuals are already suffering deeply from the coronavirus pandemic, and legislation passed to date has overlooked their critical needs. Congress must include resources to address their housing and health needs in the stimulus relief package currently under debate. These individuals are often seniors, people with disabilities and/or people with underlying health conditions, making them high-risk populations for the virus. Those who do not have homes cannot follow "stay at home" orders. Those who do have homes often live in close quarters with others, unable to self-isolate or practice social distancing. To support people experiencing homelessness, Congress needs to allocate at least $15.5 billion in Emergency Solution Grant (ESG) funds to expand access to emergency shelter, increase staffing, and provide necessary supplies. Legislation should provide additional resources to Continuums of Care (CoCs) as they work to support homeless service providers and for outreach workers as they support individuals living on the street and in encampments. To support people facing housing instability as the economic fallout from this crisis grows, Congress must take action to help them stay in their homes. We must increase funding for emergency rental assistance, legal representation for low-income households facing eviction, and housing counseling programs that support those facing eviction or foreclosure. I also urge you to support a comprehensive moratorium on evictions and foreclosures, or at least a moratorium for properties owned or ensured by HUD, the VA, or RHS and for properties supported by the Low Income Housing Tax Credit. Congress must also increase funding for Public Housing Authorities so they can absorb the cost of additional cleaning, staffing, and repairs to ensure the safety and health of their residents. The long-term impacts of the economic downturn from this pandemic will require significant investments in the creation of affordable housing. While allocating funds, Congress must prioritize the National Housing Trust Fund and expand the Housing Choice Voucher program and should consider establishing a new renter's tax credit and an emergency assistance fund for families in financial distress, similar to the one proposed in the Eviction Crisis Act. As my legislator, I call on you to make helping our most vulnerable Americans a priority. This is both a moral issue and an urgent public health necessity. Thank you for your immediate action on these critical measures.

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