[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 121 (Wednesday, July 1, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E600-E603]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          EMERGENCY HOUSING PROTECTIONS AND RELIEF ACT OF 2020

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. MAXINE WATERS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, June 29, 2020

  Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the following 
letters:
  1. A letter on behalf of 600 organizations in support of the housing 
provisions included in the Heroes Act, which are the same provisions 
included in the bill we are considering today, H.R. 7301.
  2. A letter on behalf of over 800 national, state, and local 
organizations in support of H.R. 6820, the Emergency Rental Assistance 
and Rental Market Stabilization Act of 2020, which is also included in 
H.R. 7301.
  3. A letter from the National Urban League in support of H.R. 7301.
  4. A letter from the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities 
Housing Task Force in support of H.R. 7301.
  5. A letter from the National Alliance to End Homelessness in support 
of H.R. 7301
                                                    June 29, 2020.
     Hon. Mitch McConnell,
     Washington, DC.
     Hon. Chuck Schumer,
     Washington, DC.
     Hon. Nancy Pelosi,
     Washington, DC.
     Hon. Kevin McCarthy,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Majority Leader McConnell, Minority Leader Schumer, 
     Speaker Pelosi, and Minority Leader McCarthy: We, the 
     National Low Income Housing Coalition on behalf of more than 
     600 national, state, and local organizations across the 
     country, urge you to immediately enact the critical housing 
     investments and protections included in the ``Emergency 
     Housing Protections and Relief Act of 202Q'' (H.R. 7301) and 
     the ``Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency 
     Solutions (HEROES) Act'' to address the health and housing 
     needs of America's lowest-income renters and people 
     experiencing homelessness during and after the coronavirus 
     pandemic. Every day that Congress waits to enact this vital 
     legislation, policymakers put millions of low-income people--
     including seniors, people with disabilities, families with 
     children, low-wage workers and other individuals who were 
     already struggling to pay rent before the current pandemic--
     at risk of eviction and homelessness. Without the protections 
     and resources in H.R. 7301 and the HEROES Act, our nation 
     will see an increase in homelessness as renters lose their 
     homes.
       The ``Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act 
     (CARES Act)'' included $12 billion in housing and 
     homelessness resources and other critical protections for 
     low-income renters. This bill was an important first step, 
     but far more resources are needed to protect those 
     individuals living on the brink. While the CARES Act's 
     stimulus checks and expanded unemployment benefits will 
     certainly help, they only last a short duration, many people 
     with the greatest needs are facing challenges in accessing 
     these resources, and even those who were successful in 
     receiving these benefits will still be severely rent-burdened 
     and at risk of homelessness unless Congress provides targeted 
     assistance.
       Even before the pandemic, people of color were 
     significantly more likely than white people to experience 
     housing instability,

[[Page E601]]

     evictions, and homelessness, the result of centuries of 
     institutional racism and economic inequity. People of color 
     will also likely experience greater burdens in the aftermath 
     of the acute crisis. In addition to facing higher mortality 
     rates, people of color are more likely to be impacted by job 
     insecurity, food insecurity, housing instability and 
     homelessness.


                       Homeless Assistance Funds

       To address these challenges, H.R. 7301 and the HEROES Act 
     provide the full $11.5 billion needed to prevent and respond 
     to outbreaks among people experiencing homelessness, who are 
     at a higher risk of severe illness and death due to the 
     disease. People who are homeless and contract coronavirus are 
     twice as likely to be hospitalized, two to four times as 
     likely to require critical care, and two to three times as 
     likely to die than others in the general public. If 
     unchecked, as many as 20,000 people who are homeless could 
     require hospitalization and nearly 3,500 could die. This has 
     enormous implications for individuals, their communities, and 
     our already overstretched hospital systems. These funds are 
     needed to minimize the number of people living in homeless 
     encampments and congregate shelters and identify alternative 
     space, including hotels, for isolation and self-quarantine.


               National, Uniform Moratorium on Evictions

       The HEROES Act and H.R. 7301 include a uniform, 12-month 
     eviction and foreclosure moratorium policy to protect all 
     renters and homeowners at a time when our collective health 
     depends on each of us staying home. In the CARES Act, 
     Congress instituted a shorter, temporary moratorium for only 
     some renters and homeowners in federally subsidized housing. 
     NLIHC created a searchable database and map to help renters 
     determine whether they are protected under the CARES Act, but 
     these tools are not complete because not all data is publicly 
     available. States and localities have also instituted their 
     own eviction and foreclosure moratoriums, creating a 
     patchwork of responses--many of which expire in the coming 
     weeks--that provides relief to only some and creates 
     confusion that has allowed some landlords to move forward 
     with illegal evictions.


                      Emergency Rental Assistance

       To help keep low-income seniors, people with disabilities, 
     families with children, low-wage workers, and other 
     individuals stably housed, the HEROES Act and H.R. 7301 
     include the ``Emergency Rental Assistance and Rental Market 
     Stabilization Act'' proposed by Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), 
     Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Congressman Denny Heck 
     (D-WA) and 145 House cosponsors and 35 Senate cosponsors to 
     provide $100 billion in emergency rental assistance.
       Research from the National Low Income Housing Coalition 
     estimates that at least $100 billion in emergency rental 
     assistance is needed. Emergency rental assistance provides 
     direct support to renters in need--including those who have 
     lost jobs or wages due to the pandemic--to help them shelter 
     in place and avoid housing instability. A moratorium on 
     evictions offers renters some important protections, but rent 
     arrears will accumulate. People who have lost income as a 
     result of the pandemic will struggle to cover large sums of 
     back-rent once it comes due. Without emergency rental 
     assistance, these households will face the destabilizing 
     impacts of evictions and, in worst cases, homelessness, with 
     enormous negative consequences for individuals, their 
     communities, and our economy. Emergency rental assistance is 
     also necessary to ensure the continued viability of our 
     country's essential affordable housing infrastructure.
       The HEROES Act and H.R. 7301 also provide an additional $13 
     billion to further address housing instability, including 
     100,000 new emergency housing vouchers targeted to people 
     with the greatest needs, including people experiencing or at 
     risk of homelessness and survivors of domestic violence.
       We urge you to immediate enact to immediately provide the 
     critical resources and protections included in H.R. 7301 and 
     the HEROES Act to prevent evictions and homelessness and 
     promote housing stability among those individuals with the 
     greatest needs during and after this crisis.
                                  ____

                                                    June 29, 2020.
     Hon. Mitch McConnell,
     Washington, DC.
     Hon. Nancy Pelosi,
     Washington, DC.
     Hon. Chuck Schumer,
     Washington, DC.
     Hon. Kevin McCarthy,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Majority Leader McConnell, Minority Leader Schumer, 
     Speaker Pelosi, and Minority Leader McCarthy: We, the 
     National Low Income Housing Coalition on behalf of more than 
     800 national, state, and local organizations across the 
     country, urge you to address in the next coronavirus relief 
     package the urgent health and housing needs of America's 
     lowest-income renter households--8 million of which were 
     struggling to pay rent and make ends meet before the current 
     coronavirus pandemic and who now are facing increased risks 
     of evictions and homelessness. To avert a surge in evictions 
     and homelessness, we urge you to include in any comprehensive 
     coronavirus relief package the Emergency Rental Assistance 
     and Rental Market Stabilization Act proposed by Senator 
     Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Congressman Denny Heck (D-WA), and 
     Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) to provide $100 billion in 
     emergency rental assistance to help keep America's low-income 
     seniors, people with disabilities, families with children, 
     low-wage workers, and others stably housed during this 
     crisis.
       The ``Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act 
     (CARES Act)'' included $12 billion in housing and 
     homelessness resources and other critical protections for 
     low-income renters. This bill was an important first step, 
     but far more resources are needed to protect those 
     individuals living on the brink. While the CARES Act's 
     stimulus checks and expanded unemployment benefits will 
     certainly help, they only last a short duration, many people 
     with the greatest needs are facing challenges in accessing 
     these resources, and even those who were successful in 
     receiving these benefits will still be severely rent-burdened 
     and at risk of homelessness unless Congress provides targeted 
     emergency rental assistance. Research from the National Low 
     Income Housing Coalition estimates that at least $100 billion 
     in emergency rental assistance is needed.
       Even before the pandemic, people of color were 
     significantly more likely than white people to experience 
     evictions and homelessness, the result of centuries of 
     institutional racism and economic inequity. People of color 
     will also likely experience greater burdens in the aftermath 
     of the acute crisis. In addition to facing higher mortality 
     rates in their communities, the economic impact of COVID-19 
     will likely increase rates of job insecurity, food 
     insecurity, housing instability and homelessness.
       Emergency rental assistance provides direct support to 
     people who have lost jobs to help them shelter in place and 
     avoid housing instability during and after the pandemic. 
     Temporary moratoria on evictions offer temporary protections 
     for some renters, but rent arrears will accumulate. People 
     who have lost income as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak 
     will struggle to cover large sums of back-rent once it comes 
     due. Without emergency rental assistance, these households 
     will face the destabilizing impacts of evictions and, in 
     worst cases, homelessness, with enormous negative 
     consequences for individuals, their communities, and our 
     economy. Emergency rental assistance is also necessary to 
     ensure the continued viability of our country's essential 
     affordable housing infrastructure.
       In enacted, the Emergency Rental Assistance and Rental 
     Market Stabilization Act would provide states, localities, 
     territories, and tribes with flexible resources to provide 
     direct support to households in need with short-and medium-
     term rental assistance or to cover up to 6 months of back 
     rent and late fees. The funds may also be used to stabilize 
     households by helping to address the cost of security 
     deposits and utility deposits and payments, among other 
     expenses. These funds are designed to reach people in need 
     quickly and directly; half of the funds must be allocated to 
     states and local governments within 7 days. The Emergency 
     Solutions Grants program utilized in this legislative 
     proposal was modelled by Congress on the Homelessness 
     Prevention and Rapid Re-housing (HPRP) program created and 
     used successfully in the aftermath the 2008 financial crisis.
       We urge you to include in any comprehensive coronavirus 
     relief package the Emergency Rental Assistance and Rental 
     Market Stabilization Act to prevent evictions and 
     homelessness and promote housing stability among those 
     individuals with the greatest needs during and after this 
     crisis.
                                  ____

                                            National Urban League,
                                                    June 29, 2020.
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Representatives: On behalf of the National Urban 
     League and our 90 affiliates across 36 states, I write to 
     express strong support for the important housing assistance 
     provisions included in the ``Emergency Housing Protections 
     And Relief Act of 2020'' (H.R. 7301). As Congress considers 
     further legislation to help combat the many devastating 
     economic impacts of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) 
     pandemic, passage of the sweeping housing assistance measures 
     included in H.R. 7301 will be crucial to ensuring that 
     American families are given the tools they need to adequately 
     navigate this unprecedented crisis. We urge members to vote 
     in favor of this legislation when it comes to the House floor 
     for a vote.
       As you know, the collapse of our nation's economy due to 
     the COVID-19 pandemic marked a formal end to 128-months of 
     economic expansion that started when the U.S. began 
     recovering from the depths of the 2008 financial crisis, and 
     the beginning of another prolonged downturn. The 
     Congressional Budget Office estimates that the COVID-19 
     pandemic will shrink the size of the U.S. economy by roughly 
     $8 trillion over the next decade.
       The worsening economic outlook will unfortunately lead to 
     even higher unemployment, lower wages, and significantly less 
     income for working families nationwide, many of whom were 
     struggling to make ends meet long before the pandemic hit. 
     According to a May 2020 survey released by the Federal 
     Reserve, nearly 40% of U.S. adults reported lacking enough 
     savings or cash on hand to cover an unexpected emergency of 
     $400 or more without needing to borrow. Additionally, 32% of 
     all U.S. renters reported being unable to pay their full rent 
     last month while more than 4.2 million homeowners

[[Page E602]]

     needed to request forbearance on their mortgages due to 
     COVID-19 related financial hardships. Without additional 
     legislation from Congress, our nation may soon face 
     unprecedented levels of evictions and foreclosures that will 
     increase homelessness and ultimately many harm our economic 
     recovery.
       The housing assistance protections included as part of H.R. 
     7301 are particularly important in light of the many 
     financial challenges homeowners and renters nationwide will 
     continue to face as a result of this pandemic. As such, the 
     bill's inclusion of $100 billion for the creation of an 
     emergency rental assistance fund aimed at helping renters 
     meet financial obligations such as rent, property taxes, 
     property taxes, and unpaid utilities will be crucial to 
     ensuring a faster recovery for workers takes place after this 
     pandemic has subsided. The extension of existing federal 
     eviction moratoriums through at least March 2021 will also 
     provide important assurances for families faced with COVID-
     19-related financial hardships during these challenging 
     times.
       As Americans continue to face economic circumstances that 
     threaten their financial and housing insecurity, the bill's 
     inclusion of additional resources for federally assisted 
     housing programs such as public housing and Section 8 will 
     help keep them affordable and available to those who need 
     them. Moreover, the dedication of $11.5 billion in funding 
     for homeless assistance grants to help ensure that Americans 
     experiencing homelessness during this difficult time will 
     also be able to receive access to the necessary health 
     services they need while following social distancing guidance 
     rules.
       As the outbreak of the corona virus pandemic continues to 
     bring about unprecedented declines in economic productivity 
     across the entire U.S. economy, homeowners and renters 
     nationwide will need help combating the the devastating 
     economic effects of this crisis. To this end, we are 
     especially pleased that the bill includes$ 100 million in 
     funding to the Department of Housing and Urban Development's 
     (HUD) Housing Counseling Assistance program (Section 109) 
     will be crucial to ensuring that Americans have access to the 
     necessary housing information and resources they need to 
     secure affordable housing or avoid foreclosure on their 
     homes.
       We are especially pleased that the housing counseling 
     provision in this bill is modeled after the National 
     Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling (NFMC) program, which 
     Congress created in response to the 2008 financial crisis to 
     assist homeowners who were at risk of foreclosure. As you 
     know, the NFMC program proved uniquely successful in helping 
     stabilize U.S. households during the worst economic crisis 
     since the Great Depression. In its 10 year reign, the program 
     provided individualized counseling and education services to 
     more than 2.1 million Americans who needed advise on things 
     such as how to receive a loan modification on their mortgage 
     from their lender, avoid serious delinquency or foreclosure, 
     or purchase a home.
       As one of a number of HUD-approved housing counseling 
     intermediaries that received funding through NFMC, the 
     National Urban League's 90 affiliates across 36 states played 
     a vital role in providing struggling families with services 
     such as foreclosure prevention counseling, rental counseling, 
     homelessness prevention counseling, how to and fair housing 
     education.
       Homeowners and renters nationwide who are facing difficult 
     economic times will need precisely this kind of advice on 
     what their available options are for withstanding the 
     difficult economic challenges that lay ahead. This is 
     particularly true for minority and underserved potential 
     homebuyers for whom housing counseling assistance has 
     traditionally proved immensely helpful when it comes to 
     wealth-building and homeownerships opportunities. For 
     example, from 2009-2015, over 12.2 million Americans received 
     housing counseling assistance from HUD-approved counselor; 
     45% of those received counseling were were racial minorities 
     while 71% of had low or moderate incomes.
       Housing counseling is particularly vital during times of 
     crisis when unscrupulous actors in the financial marketplace 
     typically seek to further exploit the most financially 
     vulnerable in our society. For many families, being able to 
     speak with a housing counselor to ask questions about how to 
     avoid foreclosure may be the difference between being 
     homeless or staying in their homes during and after this 
     unprecedented crisis.
       Given that the purchase of a home is still the single most 
     significant financial decisions most Americans will make in 
     their lifetime, housing counseling should continue to be 
     widely available to help families make better and more-
     informed decisions during challenging economic times. To this 
     end, the National Urban League urges members to vote in favor 
     H.R. 7301 when it comes to the House floor for a vote.
       Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact 
     Julius Niyonsaba at the National Urban League. Thank you for 
     your attention and consideration on this important matter.
           Sincerely,

                                               Marc H. Morial,

                                                President and CEO,
                                            National Urban League.
                                                              CCD,


                    Consortium for Citizens With Disabilities,

     June 29, 2020.
     Re: H.R. 7301, the Emergency Housing Protections and Relief 
         Act of 2020
     Hon. Maxine Waters, Chair,
     Hon. Patrick McHenry, Ranking Member,
     Committee on Financial Services,
     House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chair Waters and Ranking Member McHenry: On behalf of 
     the Consortium for Citizens With Disabilities (CCD) Housing 
     Task Force, we are writing to offer our enthusiastic support 
     for the Emergency Housing Protections and Relief Act of 2020 
     (H.R. 7301). CCD is the largest coalition of national 
     organizations working together to advocate for Federal public 
     policy that ensures the self-determination, independence, 
     empowerment, integration and inclusion of children and adults 
     with disabilities in all aspects of society; the CCD Housing 
     Task Force focuses on expanding access to decent, safe and 
     affordable rental housing for people with disabilities.
       H.R. 7301 is particularly well-timed in responding to the 
     current COVID 19 pandemic. Many people with disabilities are 
     especially vulnerable to increase rates of infection and 
     death from the virus, and in need of stable housing options 
     in order to stay safe and healthy. The extended moratorium on 
     eviction proceedings is crucial to preventing homelessness 
     and housing instability. In addition, the inclusion of $200 
     million in funding for the Section 811 program will serve as 
     a critical resource to expand access to affordable rental 
     housing for non-elderly people with disabilities, and help 
     existing multifamily properties address the needs of their 
     tenants to adhere to the CDC guidelines for self-distancing 
     and quarantining when needed. Overall, the package of 
     housing-related provisions in the bill are urgently needed 
     protect the people with disabilities and their families who 
     are at risk during this pandemic.
       Thank you for your leadership in responding to the 
     affordable rental housing needs of low-income Americans 
     during this public health crisis. The CCD Housing Task Force 
     urges all House Members to support H.R. 7301.
           Sincerely,
     CCD Housing Task Force Co-Chairs,
     Molly Burgdorf,
       The Arc of the United States.
     Andrew Sperling,
       National Alliance on Mental Illness.
                                                 National Alliance


                                          To End Homelessness,

                                    Washington, DC, June 29, 2020.
     Hon. Maxine Waters,
     Chairwoman, House Committee on Financial Services,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairwoman Waters: On behalf of the National Alliance 
     to End Homelessness, which is a nonpartisan, mission-driven 
     organization committed to preventing and ending homelessness 
     in the United States, I strongly endorse the Emergency 
     Housing Protections and Relief Act (H.R. 7301), a thoughtful 
     and comprehensive approach towards addressing the serious 
     health and economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, 
     which will be considered by the House of Representatives 
     later this month.
       That this legislation was already approved by the House as 
     part of the massive Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus 
     Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act (H.R. 6800) may make it 
     anti-climactic to some. However, I commend you for seizing 
     the opportunity to focus national attention during this 
     public health emergency on homelessness and housing issues 
     specifically, thus increasing the prospects that the federal 
     government will provide additional meaningful assistance to 
     homeless and unstably-housed Americans later this Summer.
       Your bill includes many helpful provisions, but please 
     allow me to single out three:
       1. Section 201 would authorize an additional $11.5 billion 
     in Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) to help homelessness 
     services providers safely shelter and quarantine homeless 
     Americans and help a substantial fraction of them move into 
     permanent housing. This is a natural extension of the 
     bipartisan Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Recovery 
     Security Act (P.L. 116-136), which provided the homelessness 
     system with a crucial $4 billion in initial ESG funding.
       Homeless Americans are twice as likely to be hospitalized, 
     two to four times as likely to require critical care, and two 
     to three times as likely to die than the general population. 
     Section 201 would allow providers to safely shelter homeless 
     Americans in adapted or new facilities and quarantine the 
     most vulnerable homeless Americans in motels.
       ESG would also be used by providers to pay for the 
     additional staff required to meet the increased demand for 
     services and the loss of volunteers due to the virus as well 
     as the additional supplies required during a pandemic, 
     including testing, soaps, sinks, toilets, gloves, masks, 
     personal protective equipment, food, and cleaning supplies.
       ESG would allow providers to continue to serve unsheltered 
     homeless Americans--those who cannot come inside, usually 
     because of inadequate shelter capacity--which has never been 
     more important because of public health concerns. However, 
     such outreach has also become more difficult, more expensive, 
     and more dangerous than ever before.
       Finally, ESG would allow providers to move a significant 
     fraction of homeless Americans into permanent housing through 
     rapid re-housing (RRH), a successful program that combines 
     short-term rental subsidies,

[[Page E603]]

     help finding affordable rentals, and some case management. 
     RRH is widely credited with a steep nationwide reduction in 
     family homelessness.
       Among homelessness services providers, the operative maxim 
     is: ``it's a marathon, not a sprint!'' This pandemic will 
     last well into calendar year 2021, and they know their 
     workload will likely get even heavier. Therefore, it is 
     imperative that the federal government sufficiently resource 
     those providers through enactment of Section 201.
       2. Section 202 would authorize the establishment of $1 
     billion in emergency housing vouchers which could provide 
     permanent housing to homeless Americans, those at risk of 
     becoming homeless, as well as those escaping from domestic 
     violence. With respect to homeless families and individuals, 
     specifically, these vouchers could be used to provide safe 
     spaces to those most vulnerable to the virus--the elderly, 
     the disabled, and the sick--who need deeper subsidies. 
     Additional funding beyond what is provided here will be 
     needed to ensure a permanent housing solution for all 
     homeless people who are elderly or have serious disabilities, 
     and we look forward to working with you to fulfill this need.
       3. Section 101 would establish a $100 billion rental 
     assistance fund in order to prevent a wave of homelessness 
     from sweeping across the nation and overwhelming homelessness 
     services providers. Many renters, who were already spending 
     unsustainable amounts of their incomes on rent, are incurring 
     significant arrearages during state and federal eviction 
     moratoria, and they are in danger of eviction when those 
     moratoria expire.
       Your legislation offers homeless and unstably-housed 
     Americans hope and inspiration during this terrible time, so 
     thank you for your extraordinary leadership.
           Sincerely,

                                                   Steve Berg,

                           Vice President for Programs and Policy,
     National Alliance to End Homelessness.

                          ____________________