December 2020

We appreciate your donations as we look forward to renewed energy for HousingNOW in 2021. Make your Year-End gift here.

The Government passed funding, but does it include enough housing?

This year has been filled with unpredictability and turmoil. Our way of life has been negatively impacted. We have been forced to distance ourselves from those we love, our co-workers, and our traditions. It is in times like these that Americans have always supported each other.

COVID-19 has been incredibly challenging for people experiencing homelessness. Economists estimate that homelessness could increase by up to 32% as a result of COVID-19 related issues.

NCH has remained vigilant in this time of crisis in our country. We have been pushing Congress to include both short and long-term housing and other economic relief for everyday people. We are encouraged by the relief package and omnibus budget signed into law by the President this week.

This new $900 Billion COVID-19 relief plan includes:

$25 billion for rental assistance (click here see how much your state will receive)
Extends the federal eviction moratorium for 1 month and use of CARES funding set to expire on 12/30/20 to 12/31/21.
$13 billion for enhanced Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits.
Provides direct payments of at least $600 to adults and $600 per child. Families with incomes under $75,000/year. (Two parent household up to $150,000)
Click here for more details

The omnibus Fiscal Year 2021 budget passed includes:

$4.839 billion for the Public Housing Operating Fund;
$3 billion for Homeless Assistance Grants; and
$2.765 billion for the Public Housing Capital Fund.
The 2020 CoC NOFA is postponed and current programs will be re-funded for one year (this is a provision you have helped us fight for since early in the pandemic!)
Click here for more details

NCH has especially worked hard to elevate the voice of people whose lives have been impacted by the experience of homelessness, as we fight for lasting solutions. NCH is now in partnership with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), assisting a team of 14 people with lived experience to provide critical guidance on programming and policy, including COVID relief dollars that have gone to homeless services.

Your end-of-year donation will support the vital work of NCH. We will continue to fight for safe, decent, accessible, and affordable homes for all of our neighbors, and we hope that you will join us!

Sincerely,

Donate

On December 21st, NCH released 20 Years of Hate, a report outlining 83 incidents of bias-motivated violence against people experiencing homelessness that occurred in 2018 and 2019 throughout the United States.

Combining statistics and narratives, 20 Years of Hate provides an in-depth look at the types of crimes homeless individuals experienced in 2018 and 2019, from police brutality to stabbings.

California saw the most crimes against people experiencing homelessness in 2018 and 2019. Often considered ground zero for homelessness, Los Angeles, in particular, saw almost 10% of overall incidents recorded, from acid attacks and video-taped stabbings to police officers murdering a homeless man after a noise complaint. There is a clear correlation between the growing visible presence of homelessness, as occurs in Los Angeles, and the number and severity of attacks from housed persons. Click below to read more.

20 Years of Hate

NCH staff joined advocates across the country to develop a toolkit on tracking homeless mortality. Despite incomplete reporting, it is estimated that 17,500 and 46,500 homeless deaths occurred in 2018. Even conservatively, that is an average of 48 people who die while homeless every day.

Many of these deaths would have been prevented with the stability that permanent housing provides. Your community is encouraged to use the toolkit to set up better tracking of mortality among our homeless neighbors!

Homeless Mortality Toolkit

While the new COVID relief bill signed this past weekend by the President extends the CDC eviction moratorium until January 31, 2021, this only delays upcoming waves of new homelessness.

Research shows that previous state and city expiring eviction moratoria are associated with over 400,000 additional cases of COVID-19 and just under 11,000 additional COVID-19 deaths.

Here are some additional resources on the upcoming eviction cliff, and how you can find assistance if you are a renter unable to pay rent:

Eviction Defense Organizing Toolkit from the Anti-Eviction Network
Disaster Financial Assistance with Food, Housing, and Bills | USAGov
COVID-19 Rental Assistance | dhcd (dc.gov)
Resources that can help you pay bills now (cnbc.com)
Eviction Prevention Programs (needhelppayingbills.com)
Rental Assistance | National Low Income Housing Coalition (nlihc.org)

National Coalition for the Homeless, 2201 P Street NW, Washington, DC 20037

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