Emergency Housing Protections and Relief Act of 2020

Floor Speech

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Ms. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 7301, legislation to provide help to our renters, homeowners, and landlords who are at risk of becoming homeless. The bill would strengthen and renew critical protections to ensure that tens of millions of Americans can keep a roof over their heads. It also makes sure we can continue to get help to those who are already homeless.

The economic shock created by COVID-19 is still ongoing. Now is not the time to relax the protections that Congress has put in place. When this health crisis escalated in March and the House first acted, no one could imagine the devastation that would befall our communities. Over 120,000 Americans dead, more than 2 million infected. And the confirmed death and case counts remain on the rise. Our nation has experienced 14 straight weeks of over 1 million unemployment weekly claims and national unemployment rates that have tripled. Many have lost jobs and the only thing keeping them in their homes is either a local, state, or federal moratorium or the kindness of landlords.

We know we are engaged with a deadly foe that preys on the most vulnerable. Our new normal is not going away and our public policies need to respond to help the tens of millions of Americans who are now living on the edge, through no fault of their own.

In my state of Wisconsin, according to media reports, we saw ``eviction filings jumping 42 percent statewide in the first two weeks of June'' following the end of a statewide moratorium on such actions.

The number of eviction filings will only worsen if we allow the federal moratorium, currently scheduled to lapse no later than July 25 that affect federally subsidized housing and backed mortgages, to come to a sharp halt.

The Trump Administration and Senate Majority Leader McConnell may be content to wait and watch as more and more Americans falter in these trying economic times, but we must not be so callous.

This bill would extend the eviction moratorium to March 27, 2021. It would also extend it to help all renters and provide $100 billion for an emergency rental assistance fund that would help renters cover their rent and utility bills, including any unpaid bills.

We also help homeowners by banning foreclosures for an additional 6 months and creating a Homeowner Assistance Fund that would help with mortgage payments, property taxes, property insurance, and other housing related costs.

The legislation also takes steps to help the homeless, who were already vulnerable before this pandemic. Strong funding for homeless assistance grants will help ensure that people experiencing homelessness are able to follow social distancing guidance and have access to necessary services to get them into permanent housing.

This bill would also give $1 billion to for new Housing Choice Vouchers that would be targeted to people experiencing or at risk of homelessness and survivors of domestic violence. Because homelessness leads many people to cycle through costly emergency systems and shortens life expectancy, it is good public policy to put resources toward keeping people from becoming homeless in the first place and helping those who are homeless get stable housing.

The middle of a pandemic is not the time to take away lifelines. Housing is crucially important. Let us act to help keep people homed and to support those experiencing homelessness.

As I said on this floor nearly four years ago, ``The American people deserve a Congress and a President who will keep them in their houses and in their homes.''

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