The Emergency Rental Assistance Program in the Continued Assistance Act makes available $25 billion to assistant households that are unable to pay rent and utilities because of COVID-19.  Payments will be made directly to states, U.S. Territories, local governments with more than 200,000 residents, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, and Indian Tribes.  Not less than 90 percent of awarded funds must be used for direct financial assistance.  The remaining funds are available for housing stability services.

An eligible household is a renter household in which at lease one or more individuals 1) qualify for unemployment or has experienced a reduction in household income, incurred significant costs, or experienced financial hardship because or COVID-19, 2) demonstrates a risk of homelessness or housing instability, or 3) has a household income at or below 80 percent of the area median.

Eligible households that include an individual who has been unemployed for 90 days, and households with income at or below 50 percent of the area median are to be prioritized.

Eligible households may receive up to 12 months of assistance, plus an additional 3 months if the grantee determines the extra months are needed to ensure housing stability and grantee funds are available.

Payment of existing housing-related arrears that could result in eviction of an eligible household is prioritized.  Assistance must be provided to reduce an eligible household’s rental arrears before the household may receive assistance for future rent payments.  Once a household’s rental arrears are reduced, future assistance can be provided for only three months at a time.  Households can reapply for additional assistance at the end of the three-month period if needed and the overall time limit for assistance is not exceeded.

An application for rental assistance can be submitted to the grantee by either an eligible household or be a landlord on behalf of the household.  Funds will be paid directly to the landlords and utility service providers.  If a landlord does not want to participate, funds may be paid directly to the eligible household.  (Emergency Rental Assistance Program, United States Department of the Treasury.)

Project Roomkey is a statewide program to provide emergency, non-congregate shelter placements (hotel/motel) for people experiencing homelessness and are in need of isolation.

Project Roomkey funds must be used to offer supports starting from the point of outreach engagement through their stay in non-congregate shelter and until the participant is stabilized in permanent housing.  Project Roomkey programs must add or bolster rehousing assistance to their current service provision.

Local governments are encouraged to identify local, state and federal finding to leverage additional resources.

Rehousing assistance can include housing barrier removal, including credit repair or legal services, landlord encouragement and incentives, move-in and housing stabilization costs, rental assistance, assistance with higher level of care placements.

Funds can also be used for housing-related case management, housing navigation, and surge activities, which are coordinated efforts to quickly rehouse a group of people experiencing homelessness.  (ACWDL, November 18, 2020.)

The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development has extended temporary changes to re-verification of employment and appraisal rules for FHA Single Family programs that were announced in Mortgagee Letter 2020-05, summarized here.  Until October 31, 2020, mortgagees do not need to re-verify employment within 10 days of the Note or within 10 days of loan disbursement if there is no loss of employment by the borrower.

Appraisers may do Exterior-only (viewing from the street) or Desktop-Only (relying on various documents and not viewing the property) appraisals for FHA Single Family loans.

There changes also apply to refinances and reverse mortgages.  (Mortgagee Letter 2020-28, August 28, 2020.)

FHA has extended until December 31, 2020 its directive that properties secured by FHA- insured Single Family mortgages are subject to a moratorium on foreclosure, announced in Mortgagee Letter 2020-04, summarized here. This is the third extension of this moratorium.  The moratorium applies to initiation of and completion of the foreclosure process.

Evictions of persons from properties secured by FHA- insured Single Family mortgages are suspended until December 31, 2020.

Deadlines for the first legal action and reasonable diligence timelines are extended by 90 days from the date of expiration of this moratorium.  (Mortgagee Letter 2020-27, August 27, 2020.)

The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development has extended the federal foreclosure and eviction moritorium in Mortgagee Letter 2020-04, summarized here,  to August 31, 2020.  (Mortgagee Letter 2020-19, June 17, 2020.)

The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has issued information and guidance about Project Roomkey which provides non-congregate shelter options to people experiencing homelessness, particularly private hotel rooms and trailers.  California has distributed 1,305 trailers for Project Roomkey.

CDSS recommends that who are experiencing homelessness and have tested positive for COVID-19, have been exposed to COVID-19 or are at high risk of COVID-19 be prioritized for Project Roomkey.

Project Roomkey providers should: 1) anticipated the need within priority populations and determine how best to triage individuals, 2) identify appropriate locations and properties and execute agreements with property owners, and 3) identify and operationalize core operating services, including wraparound supports.  (ACWDL, June 1, 2020.)