Families Need Emergency Rental Assistance In The Next Stimulus Package, Says Espaillat

Harlem Representatives Adriano Espaillat and Jesús “Chuy” García, along with 41 of their colleagues led a letter to House and Senate leadership today urging them to include $100 billion for emergency rental assistance

in the next stimulus package to help people stay in their homes. This provision passed the House as part of the HEROES Act, but was not included in the Senate’s HEALS Act.

A survey by the U.S. Census Bureau found that 24 million people in the United States worry they might not make next month’s rent payment, including nearly half of Black and Latino renters.

A survey by the U.S. Census Bureau found that 24 million people in the United States worry they might not make next month’s rent payment, including nearly half of Black and Latino renters.

“This is an unprecedented time for New York’s 13th congressional district and communities around the nation as we continue to address the impact of COVID-19,” said Congressman Adriano Espaillat. “Families need our support more than ever and Congress has a responsibility to support those most severely impacted by the pandemic and help them recover. We know that low- and moderate-income renters are bearing the brunt of the crisis’s economic toll, and our efforts must continue to help those most in need and provide crucial financial support. It’s the only way we can move forward and provide real solutions for millions of families facing evictions.”

“Working-class Black and Latino communities like mine are already disproportionately affected by the virus, and it would be outrageous for Congress to stand by as a completely avoidable homelessness crisis tears our neighborhoods apart. We have to act now to prevent yet another disaster in communities that are already suffering.”

“Our country is facing an unprecedented evictions crisis, and Congress must act to make sure no one is kicked out of their home and onto the streets during this global pandemic. As the House and Senate negotiate the next stimulus package, it is absolutely crucial that they include funds for emergency rental assistance to keep tenants in their homes,” said Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García. “Working-class Black and Latino communities like mine are already disproportionately affected by the virus, and it would be outrageous for Congress to stand by as a completely avoidable homelessness crisis tears our neighborhoods apart. We have to act now to prevent yet another disaster in communities that are already suffering.”

A copy of the letter can be found here.

• In May, Reps. Espaillat and García introduced the STAY HOME Act to provide assistance for renters to pay back rent.
• In April, Reps. Espaillat and García and 49 Members of Congress urged leadership to include emergency rental assistance in the stimulus package that became the HEROES Act.

First elected to Congress in 2016, Rep. Adriano Espaillat is serving his second term in Congress where he serves as a member of the influential U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and the House Small Business Committee.  He serves as a Senior Whip of the House Democratic Caucus and is a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) where he also serves in a leadership role as CHC Whip.

He is also chairman of the CHC Task Force for Transportation, Infrastructure and Housing. Rep. Espaillat’s Congressional District includes Harlem, East Harlem, northern Manhattan and the north-west Bronx.  To find out more about Rep. Espaillat, visit online at https://espaillat.house.gov/.