March 2021 — We take this opportunity to thank our U.S. Congressional leaders and The President for enacting a $1.9 trillion relief package. It contains nearly $50 billion in essential housing and homelessness assistance, including $27.4 billion for rental assistance and $5 billion to assist people who are homeless. Millions of low-income Americans will be pulled from the brink of losing their homes, and states and cities will be provided with extra resources to help homeless residents weather the pandemic.
The bill includes an additional $5 billion to assist people experiencing homelessness. These funds can be used to: provide rental assistance and supportive services; develop affordable rental housing; and acquire non-congregate shelters, such as hotel and motel rooms, to be converted into permanent affordable housing.
In addition, the bill provides $10 billion for homeowner assistance, $100 million for housing counseling, $20 million for fair housing, and $5 billion for utility assistance, among other crucial provisions.
While the housing crisis from before the pandemic will remain. This is a critical step towards stopping the mass housing loss that the pandemic bore down on us. We are thankful that our federal delegation has remained strong advocates for this relief.
