City Council Agenda and Packet 2021 04 13 SP

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Solicitor, the Mine Safety and Health Administration, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and the Office of Inspector General. Title III - Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs • Emergency Rental Assistance: The $25 billion in emergency rental assistance provided in the December package was a good start, but falls short of the estimated $57 billion in back rent that renters already owed as of January. The American Rescue Plan includes $21.55 billion in Emergency Rental Assistance to augment funds provided to states, localities, and territories in December to help families pay the rent and utilities and stay in their homes. • Housing Counseling: Millions of homeowners and renters are behind on monthly payments and will need help navigating assistance and modification and workout options. Housing counselors are on the front lines of providing this advice, yet they have not received funding since the pandemic began. The American Rescue Plan provides $100 million for housing counseling, which will be distributed to housing counseling organizations through NeighborWorks. This funding will allow counselors to help both homeowners and renters remain in their homes and avoid being faced with overwhelming debt burdens. • Assistance for People Experiencing Homelessness: Before the pandemic, there were already an estimated 568,000 individuals and families experiencing homelessness, many of whom have underlying health challenges. The American Rescue Plan includes $5 billion to help communities provide supportive services and safe, socially distant housing solutions, including purchase of properties like motels for use as non -congregate shelter, to protect the health of these families and individuals and help control transmission of coronavirus. • Emergency Housing Vouchers: Emergency housing vouchers will transition high -need homeless and at -risk families, youth, and individuals, including survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking, to stable housing. The $5 billion included in the American Rescue Plan will provide a more stable platform to access health care, education, and jobs. Emergency housing vouchers will expire after these assisted families no longer need them. • Rural Rental Assistance: The bill provides $100 million to support households residing in USDA -subsidized rural properties and who are struggling to pay rent during the coronavirus. • Mortgage and Utility Assistance: An estimated 3.3 million homeowners are behind on their payments or in foreclosure, and more homeowners are likely behind on utilities and property taxes. Homeowners of color are disproportionately likely to have fallen behind during the pandemic. There has been no funding dedicated to assist homeowners since the pandemic began, and with millions of forbearance plans set to expire in the months ahead, funding will be critical to help homeowners get back on track. The American Rescue Plan provides $9.961 billion in funding through the Department of Treasury to states, territories, tribes, and tribally designated housing entities to provide direct assistance to homeowners.