As N.H. eviction moratorium lifts, Shaheen calls on HUD to release stalled emergency housing grants
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) has sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) calling on the agency to expedite the release of $4 billion of Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding for emergency housing. HUD has yet to issue initial guidance to grantees about permissible uses of these funds, despite the CARES Act having been signed into law over three months ago.
Shaheen’s letter reads in part, “As you know, Congress has allocated supplemental appropriations of $4 billion for the ESG program through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, funding which will be crucial in providing assistance to homeless and at-risk individuals and families by giving states the resources to make available emergency shelters, hotel and motel vouchers as well as essential services to individuals experiencing homelessness.
Her letter continues, “Unfortunately, due to a lack of guidance from this administration about permissible uses for COVID-19 ESG funds and the process for current ESG grantees to amend their plans in light of the current public health crisis, many of these funds have not yet been deployed to assist the vulnerable populations they are intended to support. That is why I write today, as New Hampshire’s moratorium on evictions expires, to urge HUD to issue guidance as quickly as possible on the new permissible uses for ESG funds so that grantees can promptly develop plans to put these grants to use once they are released by HUD… The resources supported by ESG funds are critical to preventing at-risk families and individuals from becoming homeless and mitigating the spread of COVID-19 among those already facing homelessness.”