COVID-19 Housing and Homelessness Provider Stakeholder Call Agenda, May 13

05/13/2020 call recording

Speakers on the 5/13/2020 Call

• Congressman Denny Heck: rina.wulfing@mail.house.gov
• Tedd Kelleher, Dept. of Commerce: tedd.kelleher@commerce.wa.gov
• Joey Lindstrom, NLIHC: jlindstrom@nlihc.org
• Stephanie Velasco, Seattle Office of Housing: stephanie.velasco@seattle.gov
• Sam Jackle/Walla Walla County: sjackle@co.walla-walla.wa.us
• Esther Magasis/Yakima County, Rhonda Hauff, YNHS: esther.magasis@co.yakima.wa.us, rhonda.hauff@ynhs.org

TAKE ACTION TODAY AND EMAIL YOUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS!

House Dems introduced the HEROES Act, and it passed over the weekend. It includes $175 billion for housing assistance and a national moratorium on evictions and foreclosure! We need to keep up the pressure on our Senators, and we need to thank our Representatives who have signed on as sponsors. Please follow the above link to contact your members of Congress today and ask them to ensure that the next stimulus package includes:

• $11.5 billion in Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) funding. This combined with the $4 billion previously provided in the CARES Act will reach the funding level needed to expand access to emergency shelter, short-term rental assistance, and housing stabilization services;
• $100 billion in rental assistance to keep people housed and ensure landlords, including low-income housing providers, have the income they need to continue to operate;
• $8.5 billion to ensure that public housing authorities can continue to operate at full capacity;
• A uniform, national moratorium on evictions and foreclosures;
• Resources for housing counselors and legal services to help renters and homeowners stay housed;
• A requirement that local communities follow guidance by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and institute a moratorium on homeless encampment sweeps.
• AND MORE! See everything that's included in the HEROES Act here. 

Resources from 5/13/20 Call

• ​For those who are currently experiencing homelessness, the Dept. of Commerce shared a list of the Coordinated Entry access points, where you can go to access services like shelter, housing, case management, and other programs.
• Rep. Denny Heck's bill, the Emergency Rental Assistance and Rental Market Stabilization Act, summary.
• FAQs on immigration status and eligibility for various federal funding sources
• HEROES Act broad one-pager
• More detailed breakdown of the HEROES Act by area (HUD appropriations start on page 9)
• Washington Law Help has resources translated into multiple languages so that people can know their rights!
• Here is a resource page compiled by the National Housing Law Project on protecting renter and homeowner rights during our national health crisis
• See attached for Esther and Rhonda's slides!
• Also, see attached for an Issue Brief on Medical Respite Care and Alternate Care Sites during COVID-19, shared by Rhonda Hauff