This was originally published on September 2, 2020 in the OCDCA Newsletter.
Federal News
Take Action Now: Call For Emergency Rental Assistance
Congress is back to work to negotiate the next pandemic relief bill. With mass unemployment and over 500,000 Ohio tenants wondering how they'll pay next month's rent, emergency rental assistance must be part of the solution!
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) has introduced legislation (S. 3685, H.R. 6820) to provide a $100 billion time-limited emergency rental assistance program. The U.S. House has already passed similar legislation, but so far Senate leaders have been reluctant to act. Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) could help break the partisan divide.
Please take a couple of minutes to ask Sen. Portman and your U.S. House member to support emergency rental assistance for unemployed workers impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
Sen. Portman, who introduced the Eviction Crisis Act in December, understands the damage eviction causes to people, but he has not yet publicly advocated for emergency rental assistance to help the millions of unemployed Americans facing eviction during the public health crisis.
White House Issues Broad Moratorium on Evictions
From the National Low-income Housing Coalition (NLIHC)...Yesterday, the Centers for Disease Control took the extraordinary and unprecedented action of issuing a national moratorium on most evictions for nonpayment of rent. The action is long overdue, badly needed and will provide essential protection to millions of renters. The very least the federal government ought to do during a global pandemic is assure each of us that we won't lose our homes in the midst of it: the administration's action would do just that and will provide relief from a growing threat of eviction for millions of anxious families. The moratorium takes effect on September 4.
While an eviction moratorium during the pandemic is essential, it is a half-measure that delays but does not prevent evictions. Congress and the White House must get back to work on negotiations to enact a COVID-19 relief bill with at least $100 billion in emergency rental assistance.
Together with a national eviction moratorium, this assistance would keep renters stably housed and small landlords able to pay their bills and maintain their properties during the pandemic.
Read NLIHC's statement on the eviction moratorium here.
State News
State Approves Millions More In Local Government Relief, Safety Net Not Priority
Another $175 million in federal coronavirus aid dollars are headed to Ohio's local governments after recent Controlling Board approval. The General Assembly already authorized $350 million of the $1.2 billion in federal aid dollars earmarked for local governments in separate legislation earlier this year.
The latest installment comes with the same restrictions on how the money can be spent - namely, direct costs associated with the pandemic. Local governments have until Oct. 15 to allocate it before the funds are returned to counties and until Dec. 28 before unspent funds are returned to the state.
Local governments have used previously distributed CARES Act funds to fund public health efforts, emergency rental assistance, provide support to small businesses and individuals facing hardship, and to fund other relief efforts. Members may consider contacting their local governments to explore partnership opportunities to aid your community needs.
Advocates led by the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio (COHHIO) have asked the DeWine administration to use $100 million of the aforementioned funds for emergency rental assistance to avoid a looming eviction crisis. The administration has stated that for now the coronavirus fight has to take priority over the safety net. Mitigating evictions not only alleviates family suffering but also is a logical strategy to control virus transmission by keeping people safely housed.
This Cleveland woman's eviction case highlights the growing struggle among Ohioans to pay rent during the pandemic. Matthew Desmond author of "Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City" recently described the danger of not addressing evictions during the pandemic citing data from Hamilton County.
Congress is currently debating a relief bill that includes a U.S. House passed provision for $100 billion in emergency rental assistance. Please see the federal section for information to call Congress and Senator Portman to support this most critical resource.