Millions of Evictions Are Imminent Unless Congress Acts Immediately
December 4, 2020
At the end of the month, the CDC’s eviction moratorium is set to expire, putting up to 5 million households at immediate risk of eviction. Likewise, other safety net provisions, such as unemployment benefits and paid sick leave, will also expire, putting 12 million people at risk of losing jobless benefits.
Stable housing is a key element to ensuring good health, and new research shows that evictions lead to increased COVID-19 infections and COVID-19 related deaths. The rise in homelessness following the expiration of the eviction moratorium and other provisions will happen precisely at a time when the COVID-19 virus is hitting new peaks and winter brings about considerable challenges. Congress provided temporary relief with the $4 trillion of COVID-19 bills passed earlier this year — but without action to extend expiring provisions and provide assistance for the front lines, the country faces imminent peril.
“The Health Care for the Homeless community is deeply concerned that the impending wave of evictions will overwhelm our insufficient safety net as we prepare to serve an increasing number of clients,” says Rachel Biggs, Chair of NHCHC’s Policy Committee. “Denying the security of a home to millions of people during a pandemic is indefensible. Congress must act immediately to ensure swift action is taken to aid states’ efforts to address the pandemic and to ensure people can remain in their homes and limit the spread of COVID-19.”
ESSENTIAL ACTIONS
- Congress must immediately pass a bill that includes its own eviction moratorium and robust housing and homelessness relief.
- Absent Congressional action, the Trump administration must extend the current CDC eviction moratorium and the incoming Biden administration must be prepared to immediately take action should the Trump administration fail to do so.
- State and local governments must maximize their current resources (such as rainy day funds or other fiscal reserves) to mitigate the worsening impact of COVID-19 on low-income populations using an equitable framework.
- The Health Care for the Homeless community must continue to take action by demanding Congress pass a robust COVID-19 stimulus and signing a letter telling the administration to extend the eviction moratorium. (State and local organizations can sign-on before December 15).
Not unrelated, this December also marks the 30th anniversary of Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day — an annual day of recognition for people who die without a home. It is inexcusable that the richest nation in the world allows people to die on the streets, and it is equally unforgivable for Congress and the administration to flounder in their duty to prevent mass homelessness during a global pandemic.
“As we approach a tsunami of evictions, policymakers act as if they have no concern at all about whether we die on the streets. In my community we face a shortage of beds, and people who are evicted will have no place to go but the sidewalk. We are preparing for mass suffering and misery,” says David Peery, Co-Chair of NHCHC’s National Consumer Advisory Board.