Letter to Speaker Pelosi, Leader McCarthy, Leader McConnell, and Leader Schumer - Wyden, Merkley Call for Robust Funding to Aid the Homeless in Next COVID-19 Relief Package

Letter

Dear Speaker Pelosi, Leader McCarthy, Leader McConnell, and Leader Schumer,

We write today to urge your strong consideration of further robust funding for the Emergency
Solutions Grants (ESG) program under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act in the
next relief package. The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has left the nation facing
unprecedented public health and economic crises that have exacerbated underlying inequities and
devastated those already living on the margins. Individuals and families experiencing
homelessness are particularly vulnerable to the effects of these crises. Lacking both safe, stable
shelter and access to medical resources, those experiencing homelessness continue to be among
the hardest hit by this pandemic.

On any given night, half a million people in the United States will face homelessness. This
includes more than 50,000 families with children, who often turn to emergency shelters for
housing. These congregate settings can accelerate the spread of COVID-19, particularly among a
population disproportionately more likely to have underlying health conditions. These
vulnerabilities put both those experiencing homelessness and our frontline healthcare and human
services workers at higher risk.

Moreover, this pandemic has further exposed decades-long structural inequities such as the lack
of access to affordable health care and stable housing that have resulted in substantial
socioeconomic disparities in COVID-19 outcomes. According to a new report, those
experiencing homelessness are twice as likely to be hospitalized, up to four times more likely to
need critical care, and two to three times more likely to die as the general population from
COVID-19. These inequities have cut across racial lines as Black and brown communities have experienced a disproportionate number of infections, hospitalizations, and death due to COVID-19.

This is as much an issue of racial justice as public health. HUD's own reporting indicates that the
majority of homeless families in the U.S. are Black. While African Americans make up 13% of
the population, they account for more than 40% of those experiencing homelessness. These
disparities in health and housing together make Black Americans disproportionately likely to
contract coronavirus and suffer adverse consequences.

Communities across the U.S. have stepped up where this administration has chosen to stand
down, and have worked to use existing funding to meet the need for emergency shelter and
services. However, more support from Congress is necessary to fully fund efforts to serve and
protect those without shelter. The flexibility of ESG funding allows states, localities, and
nonprofits to react quickly to the needs of these vulnerable communities, including through rapid
rehousing and expedited long-term rehousing, helping to lessen the density of, and reliance on,
temporary shelters. These funds may also be used for sanitation efforts such as portable handwashing stations and the purchase of hand sanitizer and personal protective equipment, so
individuals can follow the health practices recommended by public health experts to halt the
spread of coronavirus.

While the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act provided an initial $4 billion in
ESG funds, significantly more funding is needed. Experts have identified that a total of $15.5
billion in ESG program funding is necessary to meet the needs during this pandemic. Therefore
we support funding for the ESG program of at least $11.5 billion in the next stimulus package to
support state, county and local efforts to protect our neighbors experiencing homelessness and
the frontline providers supporting them through this public health crisis.

We ask for your strong consideration of this request, and thank you for your consideration.