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This bill — the Emergency Housing Protections and Relief Act of 2020 — would authorize the creation of a $100 billion emergency rental assistance fund to help families and individuals pay rent and utility bills during and after the COVID-19 pandemic (without providing appropriations to fund the new program).

Renters could use the fund to receive help paying:

Future rent and utilities;
Unpaid rent and utilities that have accumulated; and
Other services, such as case management and tenant-landlord mediation, to help them remain stably housed.

Each month, a household could receive up to 120% of the fair market rent or the small area fair market rent for their area, whichever is greater, or a higher amount as determined necessary by the Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Funds from the rental assistance program would be distributed by formula to HUD’s existing network of state, territory, city, and county Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) grantees. The first 50% of funds would be allocated within seven days of this bill’s passage using HUD’s existing ESG formula; the remaining funds would be allocated within 45 days of this bill’s passage using a new HUD-developed formula reflecting the need for additional emergency rental assistance during COVID-19.

In addition to authorizing funds for current ESG grantees, this bill would set aside a special allocation for tribes and tribal housing authorities and Native Hawaiians to address emergency rental and utility payment assistance needs in those communities.

States and communities that have already taken actions to provide emergency rental assistance would be allowed to use funds from this program to reimburse themselves for activities eligible under this bill.

The program would use the same framework as the Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) program, an existing federal homeless assistance program that provides temporary rental and utility payment assistance to households during emergencies.

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Should Congress Establish a $100 Billion Emergency Rental Assistance Fund for Renters Affected by COVID-19?